The Fault In Our Stars
What it’s about?
Hazel Grace is 17, smart and obsessive. She’s also taking an experimental drug that gives her the ability to resist the build up of tumors in her lungs and to breathe. She falls for dreamy cancer survivor Augustus Waters, but wrestles with the guilt of the damage she will cause when she leaves.
What did we think?
Dan says: It may lack the explosions of a ‘summer blockbuster’ but Hazel and Augustus are so beautifully portrayed it doesn’t matter. A film about cancer will always have that sword of Damocles hanging over the characters’ heads. It is impressive that knowing this going in, you still can’t help yourself falling for them both, knowing full well that every moment there’s a medical discovery to be revealed, your heart will screw itself up into a knot.
If you are, or even have been, a 17-year-old girl you should definitely see this gripping love story (remove half a star from the review if you’ve never been a 17-year-old girl, but it’s still pretty good).
Grace of Monaco
What’s it about?
Grace Kelly becomes a princess, frets about losing her Hollywood career. Meanwhile really interesting world crises are happening.
What did we think?
This poor film looks as confused as Nicole Kidman does acting in it. On the one hand, its a genuinely interesting story about a political stand-off in Monaco over taxes, the impending threat of war with France, and the kind of eye-watering Mad Men-esque style we’ve come to admire from the early 1960’s.
On the other hand, the film is a midday melodrama about why Grace Kelly wants to do another Hollywood movie, can’t do another movie, learns French and saves the day with an overreaching speech at a ball.
For the VERY curious only – I’m off to acquaint myself with Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief, the REAL Grace Kelly and a convertible car load of proper Riviera style.
Maleficent
What’s it about?
Disney steal the concept of Wicked by telling the story of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of the villain Maleficent.
What did we think?
Definitely not for kids and with a story not strong enough for most adults it’s unclear who the target audience for Maleficent really is. Die-hard Disney and Angelina Jolie fans will certainly flock to it but the many faults balance out the majesty of the effects and performances. The failure to commit to making Maleficent actually evil really robs the movie of any gravitas as does the bizarre decision to make the three ‘good fairies’ bumbling idiots. An adversarial relationship there alone would have strengthened a film sadly lacking real backbone.
Jolie – a performer I don’t really like or usually enjoy – is incredible but we’re so sympathetic to her throughout the movie that the original premise is almost pointless. When you shrug at someone putting a curse on an innocent baby then perhaps it’s evidence debutant director Robert Stromberg has missed the mark. The failure to commit is further seen in what is changed from the original story. Giving the ‘wicked witch’ more detail and background is okay but doing so at the expense of the characters on the other side of the spectrum – who are all two-dimensional morons here – just makes this a star-driven film rather than a good story.
It’s not actually a bad movie (I did enjoy it) but those who haven’t seen the original Sleeping Beauty would love it much more.
A Million Ways To Die In The West
What’s it about?
There are a million ways to die in the West, and a cowardly Seth MacFarlane has to navigate them all.
What did we think?
Elizabeth says: Family Guy, Back to the Future 3, Blazing Saddles and Barney Stinson walk into a bar… and stumble out two hours later, drunk and slightly less funny than they went in.
The Trip To Italy
What’s it about?
Two middle-aged British comedians tour Italy sampling the local food & women in this sequel to the cult BBC film / TV series The Trip.
What’s it REALLY about?
Edited-down “best bits” of a six-part BBC docu-comedy where The Observer commissioned comedian Rob Brydon to write restaurant reviews in Britain’s Lake District (series one) and Italy (this film/series two). Brydon invites fellow comedian Steve Coogan along, and we are served the best bits of their improvisations and impersonations based on an EXTREMELY loose plot.
What did we think?
We are force-fed a game of one-upmanship (that starts off tedious and becomes painful) sandwiched between an excuse to follow in Byron-Shelley’s footsteps across Italy, and the veiled excuse of truncated food-porn.
I won’t lie: I laughed a couple of times at their James Bond / Godfather / Michael Caine impersonations. However if this premise sounds interesting, watch the TV show – at least it’s served up in palatable courses. As a movie it’s tedious. And thanks to the lack of a decent steadicam during the yacht sequence, it’s also seasickness inducing.
Sunshine on Leith
What’s it about?
Best buddies Davy and Ally return home to Edinburgh searching for love after their tour in Afghanistan ends in tragedy.
What did we think?
Stephen says: In a word: “twee”. In a sentence: It’s a musical version of EastEnders. In an odious comparison: Take Mamma Mia, replace ᗅᗺᗷᗅ with The Proclaimers, dumb down the story, and you have Sunshine On Leith.
Jokes aside, The Proclaimers music is infectious, so even if you only know the opening and closing songs, you’ll still be tapping along throughout. The main problem is the script: the current climate of creating musicals from popular bands’ back catalogues is stripped back to its ugliest form: “hey, they have a song about a Jean – let’s name on of the characters Jean… and one about sending a postcard back from America… and lots of songs about love”. Voila! Extremely flimsy and lacklustre plot written! Thankfully it’s performed and shot well. It’s just bland. Bland but fun. I’m sure mum will enjoy it.
What’s Popular
The Girl on the Train
What it’s about?
People learn to regret living by train lines.
What did we think?
Sarah Taviani says: I’ve read the book. I knew how the story would unfold. But half an hour in, it became clear the moral grey areas were off limits. Rachel’s more repugnant actions were omitted, and the development of other characters suffered as a result.
Emily Blunt does well with her portrayal of Rachel and Danny Elfman’s score was spot-on, but in the end, the film felt like a thought-provoking study of alcoholism rather than a thrilling mystery.
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
What’s it about?
Imagine if Tim Burton made an X-Men movie.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: A delightful flight of fancy that will tickle both the heart and imagination, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is a welcome breath of fresh air. We’ve had a glut of children’s books becoming franchises but this one has the right mix of intelligence and whimsy that will leave people of all ages wanting more. Masterful performances from an all-star cast make it hard to single out individuals but special mention should be made of Eva Green whose sudden jerky movements mimic the peregrine flacon she transforms into wonderfully.
The few faults – the climax isn’t as big as one would hope and the concept of time is a bit ‘wibbly wobbly’ – are minor and easily overlooked once you lose yourself in a world of hidden secrets and incredible powers. It’s very understated for Tim Burton who seems more focused on the story than excessive quirk, but any movie that makes you want to immediately buy the books is doing something right.
Storks
What’s it about?
The storks have modernised and replaced their baby delivery service with an amazon-like corporation. The status quo is threatened however and the company’s heir apparent is tasked with making the final child delivery.
What did we think?
It’s an incredibly cute movie with genuine laugh-out-loud moments. The humour is unmistakably Andy Samberg’s so while the film lacks subtlety or real depth, it compensates with enough raw entertainment to overcome a predictable by-the-numbers plot. Good for all ages, it won’t go down as a classic but it’s fun enough.
Snowden
What’s it about?
From Snowden’s early days contracting for the US government, up until he becomes responsible for the largest leak in history.
What did we think?
Nick John Bleeker says: Oliver Stone’s interpretation of the most significant leak in history highlights its sheer magnitude by making the man behind it have less of an agenda and more of a personal obligation. Despite that, the film struggles to dive deep on the ethical questions …but you’ll still find yourself taping up your laptop’s camera afterwards.
Editor's Choice
The Girl on the Train
What it’s about?
People learn to regret living by train lines.
What did we think?
Sarah Taviani says: I’ve read the book. I knew how the story would unfold. But half an hour in, it became clear the moral grey areas were off limits. Rachel’s more repugnant actions were omitted, and the development of other characters suffered as a result.
Emily Blunt does well with her portrayal of Rachel and Danny Elfman’s score was spot-on, but in the end, the film felt like a thought-provoking study of alcoholism rather than a thrilling mystery.
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
What’s it about?
Imagine if Tim Burton made an X-Men movie.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: A delightful flight of fancy that will tickle both the heart and imagination, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is a welcome breath of fresh air. We’ve had a glut of children’s books becoming franchises but this one has the right mix of intelligence and whimsy that will leave people of all ages wanting more. Masterful performances from an all-star cast make it hard to single out individuals but special mention should be made of Eva Green whose sudden jerky movements mimic the peregrine flacon she transforms into wonderfully.
The few faults – the climax isn’t as big as one would hope and the concept of time is a bit ‘wibbly wobbly’ – are minor and easily overlooked once you lose yourself in a world of hidden secrets and incredible powers. It’s very understated for Tim Burton who seems more focused on the story than excessive quirk, but any movie that makes you want to immediately buy the books is doing something right.
Storks
What’s it about?
The storks have modernised and replaced their baby delivery service with an amazon-like corporation. The status quo is threatened however and the company’s heir apparent is tasked with making the final child delivery.
What did we think?
It’s an incredibly cute movie with genuine laugh-out-loud moments. The humour is unmistakably Andy Samberg’s so while the film lacks subtlety or real depth, it compensates with enough raw entertainment to overcome a predictable by-the-numbers plot. Good for all ages, it won’t go down as a classic but it’s fun enough.
Snowden
What’s it about?
From Snowden’s early days contracting for the US government, up until he becomes responsible for the largest leak in history.
What did we think?
Nick John Bleeker says: Oliver Stone’s interpretation of the most significant leak in history highlights its sheer magnitude by making the man behind it have less of an agenda and more of a personal obligation. Despite that, the film struggles to dive deep on the ethical questions …but you’ll still find yourself taping up your laptop’s camera afterwards.