A Monster Calls
What’s it about?
A troubled young boy (Lewis MacDougall) is visited by a storytelling monster (Liam Neeson). Emotional growth ensues.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: At first glance, this tale featuring an enchanted tree, a stern grandmother and fantastical revenge on a schoolyard bully seems a Dahl-esque children’s story. However, in an interesting twist on the genre, A Monster Calls takes place in the real world of divorce, chemotherapy and lawsuits, where good and evil aren’t clear-cut and endings are often imperfect. It’s not a subtle film, but the performances are decent, the animation in the storytelling sequences is gorgeous and the ending will make you cry.
War for the Planet of the Apes
What’s it about?
An escalating war between Caesar’s (Andy Serkis) apes and a renegade army colonel (Woody Harrelson) forces Caesar to choose between his desire for revenge and his quest for a better world for ape-kind.
What did we think?
Lisa Clifford says: For the first time in the new series, apes are unapologetically placed front-and-centre as protagonists, and Serkis is utterly brilliant in his third turn as the messianic ape leader. A stark and arresting study of morality in war and how it influences our actions, War for the Planet of the Apes is visually stunning with great action sequences, and a satisfying conclusion to Caesar’s story – forming an interesting bridge between the modern reboot and the original films.
Dunkirk
What’s it about?
An intense depiction of WW2’s Battle of Dunkirk.
What did we think?
Amy Currie says: Two hours of pure tension. Dunkirk does away with preamble – there are no names, backstories or wistful talk of sweethearts back home. We barely even see the enemy. Instead, we’re plunged straight into urgent, up-close chaos. The strong performances (yes, even from that ‘one’ guy), minimal dialogue, and spectacular soundtrack moved my stoic companion to a masculine tear. See it.
Atomic Blonde
What’s it about?
Charlize Theron goes bananas as an MI6 agent who investigates the death of a fellow agent in Berlin.
What did we think?
Nick says: Putting aside the possible John Wick comparisons, Atomic Blonde is driven by some truly kinetic action that won’t induce seizures, and a great performance from Charlize Theron who asserts herself as a total-badass action-movie star.
Spiderman Homecoming
What’s it about?
Peter Parker juggles life as a teenager and wannabe Avenger. What could go wrong?
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: With great reboot comes great responsibility. So it’s quite a relief that this Marvel-Sony hybrid has successfully returned Spiderman to the MCU in a romp typical of that universe. Thankfully they left out the almost obligatory origin story (no offence Uncle Ben but we’ve seen you enough) and chose to utilise the traditional theme song (taking note Snyder/Nolan?). Sprinkle with well-written characters and a truly impressive performance from Michael Keaton and this reboot truly hits all the marks. Tom Holland captures teenage life well without becoming angsty, RDJ is simply RDJ and the action is just great fun. The only minor grumble is the AI that makes the spider suit more like Iron Man but amidst more than two hours of genuinely funny action, that’s a bit of a nitpick.
The Beguiled
What’s it about?
A group of sheltered young ladies at a boarding school take in an injured enemy solider. Then there’s a whole lot of sexual tension, which apparently is pretty dangerous when lots of ladies and just one gent are all cooped up.
What did we think?
Elizabeth Best says: All hail Sofia Coppola, mistress of the visceral slow burn for this tense, claustrophobic drama. The burning desires of the ladies simmer brilliantly beneath their genteel exterior, a testament to the performances of Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning. It’s like watching a masterful game of cat and mouse, with each party advancing their gameplay while trying to maintain the airs of a proper Southern lady. Politeness has never been so chilling.
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The Old Man & the Gun
What’s it about?
Well you see there’s a Detective who’s just hit 40 and is questioning what to do with his life. Then there’s a widower living her dreams, but wondering if she’s doing everything she’s meant to. And then there’s this old guy who’s just trying to be the best travelling salesmen he can be. Or maybe he’s lying about that and really just likes to rob banks. Whichever one he is, he’s a charmer.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: Surprisingly, for a ‘mostly true’ tale about a charming criminal, this is a story about ordinary people. It’s a love story, and it’s about finding happiness by doing what you love.
There is a delightful attention to detail in the telling of this tale, which, coupled with Redford’s brazen confidence as the untouchable Forrest Tucker, weaves a story that confounds you with contradictions of character.
After all, is a thief really that bad a person if he’s stolen your heart?
Footnote: If you think this review goes a bridge too far with references to a certain legend’s career, wait till you see how the river runs through this flick. You’d need all the Presidents men to help you unravel the sting.
Bohemian Rhapsody
What’s it about?
A chronicle of one of the most influential rock-pop bands of the 20th century, Queen and its flamboyant lead singer Freddie Mercury. Focusing more on Freddie, this biopic ranges from the group forming from the remnants of SMILE and provides glimpses of the years leading up to Queen’s legendary appearance at the Live Aid (1985) concert.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: Imagine flicking through a thick, detailed book about the history of Queen and Freddie Mercury. Not reading: just flicking through and reading a page or so at random here and there. And then flicking backwards occasionally so you’re reading out of order. That’s kind of what you get with Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s still fascinating but feels somewhat superficial and you can’t help but feel it should have been more. The movie takes liberties with chronology both musically and factually which will annoy a diehard Queen fan, but it has to be said it’s still a satisfying movie emotionally. The performances are fantastic, the music is electrifying and the heart is there even if finer details aren’t. The exploration of the paradox that was Freddie – a flamboyant performer who off-stage was shy and never identified as cool – is going to be enough for most as the familiar songs paper over a lot of the cracks. The adherence to a formulaic biopic is irritating – and almost UnFreddie like – but I enjoyed it despite the failings.
My biggest criticism was that the ending isn’t right. Frustratingly, a simple info card covering the six years between where the film ended and the info card they did display, would have addressed the issues. If you’re a Queen fan you might be disappointed with points here and there but not the overall picture. 4/5
Amy Curran says: This long-awaited film didn’t quite rock me. The music is great, of course – it’s the script that’s the problem. It’s all obvious foreshadowing, simplified characters and cinematic licence. While it dutifully checks off its mandatory rock movie moments, it does so in a very timid, overly respectful way. Any hint of debauchery is politely alluded to rather than explicitly depicted, and the film suffers for it. That said, Malek is excellent, his bandmates are well cast (Gwilym Lee’s Brian May is particularly spot on) and the incredibly faithful re-creation of the 1985 Live Aid concert at Wembley stadium is truly spectacular. Despite its flaws, it’s worth seeing. 3/5
Andrew Danyals says: Queen had not one, not two but three albums of greatest hits. Trying to choose a small list of favourite songs would be like trying to fit twenty years of fascinating and often bizarre stories into a single film. It’s inevitable that this biopic glosses over so many things. In fact there are so many things they just leave out altogether (where is the legendary Bowie studio meeting? Or Michael Jackson and his llama? The dwarves were alluded to but not shown!). Despite this, BoRap is a great movie. Not because of anything technical – there it sometimes fails – but because it taps into your emotions. You lose yourself in Rami Malek’s incredible portrayal of Freddie and you lose yourself in the music. And that’s all that really matters. Love Queen? See the movie. 4.6/5
Halloween
What’s it about?
Mike Myers (the bad one) returns to Haddonfield to wreak havoc on the one night of the year that it feels mostly okay to do so.
What did we think?
Nick John Bleeker says: I walked into the cinema thinking I could handle it and came out of the cinema so horribly wrong. Halloween doesn’t really present anything too fresh, but Jamie Lee Curtis is great and David Gordon Green’s handle on the source material is incredibly solid, and I did kinda shit myself thanks to some of the scares.
3.5 / 5 stars
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The Old Man & the Gun
What’s it about?
Well you see there’s a Detective who’s just hit 40 and is questioning what to do with his life. Then there’s a widower living her dreams, but wondering if she’s doing everything she’s meant to. And then there’s this old guy who’s just trying to be the best travelling salesmen he can be. Or maybe he’s lying about that and really just likes to rob banks. Whichever one he is, he’s a charmer.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: Surprisingly, for a ‘mostly true’ tale about a charming criminal, this is a story about ordinary people. It’s a love story, and it’s about finding happiness by doing what you love.
There is a delightful attention to detail in the telling of this tale, which, coupled with Redford’s brazen confidence as the untouchable Forrest Tucker, weaves a story that confounds you with contradictions of character.
After all, is a thief really that bad a person if he’s stolen your heart?
Footnote: If you think this review goes a bridge too far with references to a certain legend’s career, wait till you see how the river runs through this flick. You’d need all the Presidents men to help you unravel the sting.
Bohemian Rhapsody
What’s it about?
A chronicle of one of the most influential rock-pop bands of the 20th century, Queen and its flamboyant lead singer Freddie Mercury. Focusing more on Freddie, this biopic ranges from the group forming from the remnants of SMILE and provides glimpses of the years leading up to Queen’s legendary appearance at the Live Aid (1985) concert.
What did we think?
Anthony Sherratt says: Imagine flicking through a thick, detailed book about the history of Queen and Freddie Mercury. Not reading: just flicking through and reading a page or so at random here and there. And then flicking backwards occasionally so you’re reading out of order. That’s kind of what you get with Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s still fascinating but feels somewhat superficial and you can’t help but feel it should have been more. The movie takes liberties with chronology both musically and factually which will annoy a diehard Queen fan, but it has to be said it’s still a satisfying movie emotionally. The performances are fantastic, the music is electrifying and the heart is there even if finer details aren’t. The exploration of the paradox that was Freddie – a flamboyant performer who off-stage was shy and never identified as cool – is going to be enough for most as the familiar songs paper over a lot of the cracks. The adherence to a formulaic biopic is irritating – and almost UnFreddie like – but I enjoyed it despite the failings.
My biggest criticism was that the ending isn’t right. Frustratingly, a simple info card covering the six years between where the film ended and the info card they did display, would have addressed the issues. If you’re a Queen fan you might be disappointed with points here and there but not the overall picture. 4/5
Amy Curran says: This long-awaited film didn’t quite rock me. The music is great, of course – it’s the script that’s the problem. It’s all obvious foreshadowing, simplified characters and cinematic licence. While it dutifully checks off its mandatory rock movie moments, it does so in a very timid, overly respectful way. Any hint of debauchery is politely alluded to rather than explicitly depicted, and the film suffers for it. That said, Malek is excellent, his bandmates are well cast (Gwilym Lee’s Brian May is particularly spot on) and the incredibly faithful re-creation of the 1985 Live Aid concert at Wembley stadium is truly spectacular. Despite its flaws, it’s worth seeing. 3/5
Andrew Danyals says: Queen had not one, not two but three albums of greatest hits. Trying to choose a small list of favourite songs would be like trying to fit twenty years of fascinating and often bizarre stories into a single film. It’s inevitable that this biopic glosses over so many things. In fact there are so many things they just leave out altogether (where is the legendary Bowie studio meeting? Or Michael Jackson and his llama? The dwarves were alluded to but not shown!). Despite this, BoRap is a great movie. Not because of anything technical – there it sometimes fails – but because it taps into your emotions. You lose yourself in Rami Malek’s incredible portrayal of Freddie and you lose yourself in the music. And that’s all that really matters. Love Queen? See the movie. 4.6/5
Halloween
What’s it about?
Mike Myers (the bad one) returns to Haddonfield to wreak havoc on the one night of the year that it feels mostly okay to do so.
What did we think?
Nick John Bleeker says: I walked into the cinema thinking I could handle it and came out of the cinema so horribly wrong. Halloween doesn’t really present anything too fresh, but Jamie Lee Curtis is great and David Gordon Green’s handle on the source material is incredibly solid, and I did kinda shit myself thanks to some of the scares.
3.5 / 5 stars