|
60%
|
Broken (2013)
|
"A moving and visually beautiful story of an eleven-year old girl who is increasingly drawn into the complicated and cruel world of the everyday English suburbs."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
86%
|
Tabu (2012)
|
"This beguiling and eerie tale of illicit romance and nostalgia for lost love is one for the patient and the adventurous. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
58%
|
Snitch (2013)
|
"An unbelievable tale of a good dad who has to work with the bad guys to save his son from jail. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
82%
|
The Place Beyond The Pines (2013)
|
"This ambitious tale of tragedy and redemption among fathers and sons is told in three parts and, despite a superb performance from Ryan Gosling, is less than the sum of its parts."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
91%
|
The Hunt (2013)
|
"A superb performance from Madds Mikkelsen lies at the heart of this chilling tale of a small Danish community turning on an innocent man. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
52%
|
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
|
"The cast seem stilted, even a bit surprised, to find themselves in the fictitious land of Cloister, dressed in panto regalia with dreadful hair-dos, no doubt under orders to deliver their lines with a touch of deliberate theatricality."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
98%
|
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God (2012)
|
"a carefully constructed observation of the facts and a withering condemnation of the behaviour of the Catholic Church."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
82%
|
De rouille et d'os (Rust and Bone) (2012)
|
"there is no denying the cinematic power of Audiard's fearless storytelling"
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
35%
|
Cheerful Weather For The Wedding (2012)
|
"With the critical narrative information delayed until the film's final moments, it's a waiting game for the audience, not unpleasurably spent watching the gorgeous costumes and eccentric behaviour of the family and friends of an anxious bride."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
55%
|
The Company You Keep (2013)
|
"You may be in the company of an all-star cast, but this is a run-of-the-mill affair with few surprises."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
44%
|
The Paperboy (2012)
|
"A seething, swampy murder investigation infused with the sweaty smell of bodies and driven by a casual force that is seductively unstable, darkly funny and strangely exhilarating. Daniels is a visionary."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
68%
|
Trance (2013)
|
"Shimmering visuals and a hypnotic soundtrack cant fully hide the flaws in an improbable plot that probes into the mind and memories of an amnesia suffering art thief. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
75%
|
Goddess ()
|
"This upbeat and jaunty Australian musical sees mother and housewife Elspeth Dickens become an internet sensation with her kitchen-sink songs. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
0%
|
Blinder ()
|
"This story of AFL, mateship and sex scandal is let down by a clunky screenplay and some misguided morality despite the presence of Jack Thompson and an enthusiastic cast of talented young Australian actors. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
64%
|
Anna Karenina (2012)
|
"a visually unique story world, bold and beautiful, and dramatically fused with passion. Yet it's also a limited space that remains prisoner to its self-conscious theatrical structures. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
93%
|
Amour (2012)
|
"Michael Haneke's most intimate and painfully truthful film - an exploration of what love means at the far end of life."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
59%
|
The Last Stand (2013)
|
"Mindless, dumb fun as Arnie grunts a few one liners and tries to terminate an escaped drug lord who's in a fast car and heading for freedom."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
90%
|
Footnote (2012)
|
"A dense and complex piece of filmmaking, made manageable through the warm and totally compelling performances of the two lead actors. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
20%
|
The Lucky One (2012)
|
"You get just what you'd expect from this Nicolas Sparks romance - good-looking people, ever so soft lighting, and music just tender enough to stir your soul while you watch the inevitability of soul mates finding true love."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
79%
|
The Deep Blue Sea (2012)
|
"Davies presents the story with a formal painterly eye, forcing us to attend to the emotional detail that Hester experiences - constrained as she is by the social structures and values of strangulated post-war Britain"
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
44%
|
American Reunion (2012)
|
"Sitting somewhere between nostalgia and limp sex romp, this is for fans only - squeezing a few more dollars out of the American Pie franchise with plenty of reminiscing, bland titillation and bad behaviour. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
——
|
Manual Of Love 3 (Manuale D'amore 3) ()
|
"Both the title and the top billing of Robert de Niro and Monica Belluci are somewhat misleading in this three-part portmanteau film, comprising separate comic tales of love and lovers - all with a distinctly Italian flavour."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
95%
|
The Guard (2011)
|
"This film belongs to Gleeson - he seems to have effortlessly conjured up a complex and charismatic mix of world-weariness and caring, all wrapped up in that enigmatic Irish charm."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
81%
|
The Skin I Live In (2011)
|
"With a deliberately preposterous storyline involving burning bodies, evil brothers, rape, suicide, revenge, sexual identity and medical procedure, this is darkly comic arthouse soap - with a tinge of horror - and definitely an acquired taste."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
12%
|
The Darkest Hour (2011)
|
"Uninspiring and insipid, this contemporary take on the zombie genre sees a group of gorgeous twenty somethings trapped in Moscow trying desperately to get away from an endless attack launched by nasty id-like blobs of energy."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
79%
|
Page One: Inside the New York Times (2011)
|
"Although Rossi's style is a little unruly - flitting from story to story and desk to desk without any particular emphasis - it's a fascinating and privileged insight into an industry in turmoil"
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
2%
|
One for the Money (2012)
|
"Light and fluffy as a cupcake, Katherine Heigl's many talents are truly wasted in this story based on the first of eighteen best-selling Stephanie Plum novels. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
40%
|
The Bucket List (2007)
|
"Meehl's gentle handling of her subject and her unobstrusive, observational camera work make this a delightful and touching experience."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
51%
|
Contraband (2012)
|
"Mark Wahlberg plays another working class action hero in this gritty but convoluted story about double-dealing smugglers, wharfside corruption and family revenge."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
85%
|
Chronicle (2012)
|
"Clearly made to kick off a new found-footage franchise, Chronicle is a very clever story about teens who develop unusual powers, mixing everyday reality with some excellent out of this world sci-fi fantasy. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
11%
|
Gone (2012)
|
"A psychological thriller lacking in both psychological complexity and thrills."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
27%
|
Project X (2012)
|
"If you don't mind the adolescent male point-of view (read: constant objectifying of the opposite sex) there's plenty to enjoy here. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
6%
|
The Devil Inside (2012)
|
"Despite a clever - if not particularly original - idea, this pseudo-documentary horror movie is let down by an immensely frustrating ending and some less than convincing performances."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
99%
|
A Separation (2011)
|
"Fahardi's accomplishment is to have brought to the screen a group of equally complex, equally flawed, and equally human characters whose only real problem is that they must live life with each other. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
50%
|
The Rum Diary (2011)
|
"Feels like its been squeezed out of a tube rather than shot out of a canon."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
92%
|
Headhunters (2012)
|
"This crime thriller from Norway has an entertainingly schizophrenic feel as it twists its way from daring heist movie to farcical black comedy, with a few drops of serious human drama thrown in for good measure. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
84%
|
The Raid: Redemption (2012)
|
"A seriously well made, kick-ass martial-arts action movie that fans of the genre will absolutely adore. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
50%
|
Mirror Mirror (2012)
|
"A romantic panto-style romp through goody-gum drops land, full of the best natured fun you'll find on the big screen, and with an inspired performance from Julia Roberts."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
26%
|
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
|
"It's a fathers-and-sons affair as epic music, computer-generated destruction and bad one liners combine to provide a sequel of similar style and standard to predecessor - Clash of the Titans."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
70%
|
The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2012)
|
"A disappointing martial arts fable with Jet Li spinning and leaping to avoid the swords of powerful Eunuchs and nasty treasure hunters at the famous Dragon Gate Inn"
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
93%
|
Take Shelter (2011)
|
"Michael Shannon is at his best as a man plagued by apocalyptic dreams that start to bleed into his everyday life. It's one of the best independent American films of the last decade, playing on current concerns about the future of the planet. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
83%
|
Warrior (2011)
|
"This tale of two brothers competing in a mixed martial arts contest is gritty, laboured and totally devoid of suspense or surprise, despite the best efforts of actors Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
50%
|
Fighting Fear ()
|
"A documentary that reaffirms the hard-drinking, hard-partying, hard-fighting values of good old fashioned mateship, as Bra Boys director Macario De Souza follows the friendship of two friends - one a Big Wave Surfer and the other a cage-fighter."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
99%
|
Bill Cunningham New York (2011)
|
"Bill has followed his bliss for 60 years, and it's a delight to follow him for 80 minutes - even if you have no interest in fashion. Don't miss it."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
59%
|
The First Grader (2011)
|
"An uplifting, romanticised and gently-paced film infused with the dry beauty of the Kenyan landscape and powered by the moist-eyed performance of Oliver Litondo in the title role"
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
54%
|
The Inbetweeners (2012)
|
"Crude slapstick and off-colour humour accompany four 18 year-old London lads as they head for Crete in search of girls. Based on the TV sit-com of the same name, everyone but fans will find this quickly tiresome."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
68%
|
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
|
"It's back to the '80s as this found footage horror franchise hits the mark with demons and ghosts who shake and rattle the rambling house of spooky sisters Katie and Kristie."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
60%
|
Real Steel (2011)
|
"A well made but instantly forgettable robot-boxing movie that dishes out clichés blow-by-blow for its 12-year-old-boy target audience. "
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
27%
|
The Sorcerer and the White Snake (2013)
|
"With the mushometer maxed out, and a score that starts on overdrive and heads for overbearing, this ridiculously melodramatic tale of forbidden love tries to bury its narrative flaws with a colourful coating of CGI - but ends up a shiny glutinous mess."
|
Simon Weaving
|
|
87%
|
Fire in Babylon (2011)
|
"A sparkling - if perhaps somewhat nostalgic - documentary about the transformation of the West Indies "calypso" style of cricket in the 1970s, resulting in a team that dominated the game around the world"
|
Simon Weaving
|
73%
21%
63%
85%
46%
40%
