Film Review: Home Alone (1990)
byIt goes without saying that John Hughes was behind some of the most popular films of their time. The first two (and frankly only…
James Madden
MIFF 2014: Curtain Call (2014)
by“Regrets, I’ve have a few, but then again, too few to mention.” – lyrics from My Way (sung by Frank Sinatra and many others)….
Film Review: Jersey Boys (2014)
byA stage to screen adaptation is nothing unfamiliar to cinemagoers. Many musicals of the last forty years have made big splashes on the silver…
Film Review: Maleficent (2014)
byLong debated is the genesis of evil: is one born evil or can one become evil? With Disney’s new film Maleficent the answer is…
Film Review: 12 Years a Slave (2013)
bySteve McQueen really does have a thing for the embattled and imprisoned protagonist. His three feature films to date have focused on an Irish republican leading a hunger strike in Hunger, a sex-addict slipping deeper into the despair of his compulsion in Shame, and now the agonising capture and slavery of freeman Solomon Northrop in 12 Years a Slave.
Film Review: The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
byGreed, power games, drugs and New York financial corruption in the 80s. No this is not Wall Street, but simply another Scorsese take on…
Film Review: Her (2013)
bySet in the not-so-distant future, Her takes place in a world where technology has come so far that operating systems have been programmed intuitively and provide services resembling human interactions and relationships.
Film Review: August: Osage County (2013)
byAugust: Osage County features great opportunities for actors, and thankfully a cavalcade of brilliant actors breathes life into these intricate and multi-layered characters. There really isn’t a weak link in the cast, but Streep, Roberts and Cooper deserve to be singled out. Not far behind them are Martindale, Nicholson and Cumberbatch.
Film Review: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
byPlenty of laughs are to be had with Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues through genuinely astute and witty television journalistic observations, and through some less erudite gags.
Film Review: Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013)
byThe Butler is a film about response. Cecil’s blending into the background was a form of transformation from the cotton farm way of life he came from. His response was to do whatever it takes to make a better life, however demeaning or full of inequality. Louis’ response to the racism and segregation was to stand up, speak his mind and demand to be heard.