|
——
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Stuck in Love (2013)
|
"A sweet tale of love, loss and life with solid performances from a first-rate cast."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
34%
|
The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)
|
"As odd as the title suggests, this is a strange and dreadfully overwrought family yarn."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
82%
|
The Place Beyond The Pines (2013)
|
"Gosling delivers his most assured performance yet, in an ambitious, near-operatic drama-thriller that boldly unfolds across two distinctly different hours."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
71%
|
Unfinished Song (Song for Marion) (2013)
|
"Terence Stamp is terrific as the grumpy Arthur, while Vanessa Redgrave embodies the ailing figure of Marion with a gravitas one would expect."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
56%
|
Oblivion (2013)
|
"Joseph Kosinski's ode to classic 1970s sci-fi lacks serious tension, but does offer visual flair and elegance, with a typically arresting performance from Andrea Riseborough."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
78%
|
Thérèse Desqueyroux (2013)
|
"A respectable swansong for the late Claude Miller, who passed away just weeks before it premiered at Cannes. "
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
98%
|
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God (2012)
|
"A heartbreaking, brilliantly executed exposé, in which four deaf victims bring the church to account. Their testimonies are chilling. "
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
38%
|
Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)
|
"The issue of FDR's fidelity remains a thorny topic for traditionalists and historians, never mind the light, fluffy - and ultimately disposable - version of events."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
68%
|
Great Expectations (2013)
|
"A fresh rendering of the Dickens classic, designed to mark the 200th anniversary of the writer's birth, plays it far too safe to ever challenge Lean's definitive take."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
75%
|
Goddess ()
|
"Surprisingly, it is singer Ronan Keating who provides the sole saving grace, in a film that otherwise chokes and splutters with cliches and tired routines."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
67%
|
Cloud Atlas (2012)
|
"A think piece linking past, present and future that's surprisingly haunting and moving in its delivery."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
38%
|
Save Your Legs ()
|
"Hits a six at every turn. The humour may be gentle, but it's always sharp. Tellingly, not a single gag falls flat. A wonderfully unexpected delight."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
93%
|
Amour (2012)
|
"Haneke's startling film stands in stark contrast with other recent, comedic fare that seemingly addresses similar issues. "
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
46%
|
The Sweeney (2013)
|
"Fans of the original 1970s TV show will not be amused. Casual observers may simply shrug with indifference. "
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
89%
|
Lincoln (2012)
|
"This is easily Spielberg's best picture since Schindler's List. Having a two-term black president now in the White House can't hurt its chances, either."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
78%
|
Flight (2012)
|
"Denzel Washington single-handedly steers director Robert Zemeckis's lesson in substance-led evasion with stunning precision and depth."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
88%
|
Django Unchained (2012)
|
"Proudly doffing its cap to Sergios Corbucci and Leone, this latest, sprawling exercise in film lore dares to tread where most other white American filmmakers would not."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
52%
|
This is 40 (2012)
|
"In trying to please everyone he satisfies no one and, far from being brave, the fleeting concerns of This Is 40 are closer to cowardly. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
45%
|
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)
|
"Allen's mixed experiences with London stand in sharp contrast with his love affair with the French capital (the setting for last year's return to form, Midnight in Paris). "
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
63%
|
Hitchcock (2012)
|
"Disappointingly flat. Hitchcock the man feels best left where he himself enjoyed being most: behind the camera."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
82%
|
Sightseers (2013)
|
"A work of inspired comic genius that shows Lowe and Oram as faces to watch. It also confirms, again, why Wheatley is one of the most fascinating talents working in film today."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
69%
|
Les Misérables (2012)
|
"For all its grand, overblown designs, there are some genuinely engaging surprises. Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen are a riot."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
69%
|
Liberal Arts (2012)
|
"Radnor's problem stems from his casting prowess: Jenkins, Janney and Olsen are all so pleasurably adept in their parts that the film's star suffers by comparison. Jesse needs more than Josh Radnor's glibness. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
74%
|
Rise of the Guardians (2012)
|
"Rise of the Guardians is both reasonably quirky and mildly serious. It wants children to believe there's more to animation than fast food tie-ins. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
51%
|
Trouble with the Curve (2012)
|
"Hopefully, this decent but uncomplicated movie isn't a final acting hurrah for Clint Eastwood. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
81%
|
Pitch Perfect (2012)
|
"Anna Kendrick's assured lead performance elevates this Glee-type musical affair from its modest confines."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
85%
|
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
|
"Miller and Watson are in their element here, helping to shore up Chbosky's sophomore effort, which is likely to offer a pivotal moment in time for its leads. "
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
92%
|
Skyfall (2012)
|
"Seen against the ineffectual backdrop of 2008's Quantum of Solace, this is a return to form but it doesn't exceed Craig's impressive debut as Bond in 2006's Casino Royale. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
65%
|
2 Days in New York (2012)
|
"Delpy is unlikely to set the world on fire with these farcical outings of the absurd, but it's a pleasure to see her back onscreen, doing what she loves."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
43%
|
Two Little Boys ()
|
"With a backdrop of natural wonders and a suitably ironic deployment of familiar Kiwi pop hits, Two Little Boys strikes a fair balance between the outlandish and the recognisable. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
87%
|
Robot & Frank (2012)
|
"A subtle, good-natured ride with a gentle bite. Langella gives an exquisite performance as the wily ex-con. "
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
86%
|
The Master (2012)
|
"It drags a touch in the middle, and the final scene as epilogue - a Paul Thomas Anderson staple - is unduly perplexing, but the movie exerts an undeniable hold. It's difficult not to believe. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
94%
|
The Sessions (2012)
|
"Boasts a rare, inherent understanding of its subject, with Lewin now facing the prospect of becoming seriously hot property, as awards season beckons. "
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
55%
|
Bachelorette (2012)
|
"Unpleasant, repellent viewing that, surprisingly, offers only repugnant characters and toxic protagonists, nothing more."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
78%
|
Dredd (2012)
|
"What Dredd lacks in satirical insight - a bizarre oversight, given its dystopian view of America's east coast - it makes up for in sheer brute force and meat-head violence."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
43%
|
To Rome with Love (2012)
|
"A largely forgettable letdown that could have, should have been a contender."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
75%
|
Killing Them Softly (2012)
|
"Dominik's film is bleak but nonetheless perceptive and arresting. Crime still pays, just not like it used to. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
93%
|
Shadow Dancer (2013)
|
"Riseborough once again astounds with her ability to inhabit a character, with Owen also on cracking form as the agent under fire from all sides."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
21%
|
Taken 2 (2012)
|
"Unfortunately, most of the action is overzealously edited, to the point of incomprehensibility, but Neeson's purposefulness and menacing voice provide the framework for a performance. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
40%
|
Mental (2013)
|
"Mental's flaws are never fatal, and its commitment to an unhinged, sometimes episodic, contrast between the crass and the poignant is a welcome comeback from a filmmaker whose Hollywood sojourn became increasingly straitjacketed. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
96%
|
Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
|
"For those familiar with the story of Rodriguez, this engaging documentary on his substantial success in South Africa will prove both illuminating and bemusing."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
45%
|
On the Road (2012)
|
"While the film is lacking in connective tissue, Stewart and Hedlund go a long way to transcending the flaws. When they dance at one point, dusted with sweat and pleasure, On the Road truly moves. They're completely on the Beat."
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
87%
|
Arbitrage (2012)
|
"It boasts solid performances from Gere and Sarandon, yet feels overly familiar, even predictable, at times. "
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
93%
|
Lore (2013)
|
"It may have taken eight years, but Cate Shortland has tied the most personal of themes to a historic perspective and each manages to deepen and inform the other. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
47%
|
Bait (2012)
|
"Bait 3D needs to put aside the forced poignancy and attain full great bad movie status. Or at least let the sharks eat more characters. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
86%
|
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
|
"Beasts of the Southern Wild is raucous and deliberately affecting - the talent lies in making that transformation appear offhand and improvised, as if it's unfolding on the spot. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
16%
|
The Watch (2012)
|
"This little-green-men mash-up shows that in space, no one can hear you laugh."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
48%
|
Hit & Run (2012)
|
"In Hit & Run the talk is better than the torque. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
|
83%
|
Your Sister's Sister (2012)
|
"The rom-com twists don't always work, but it's easy to fall for stars who clearly love acting together - particularly Blunt, who could make a paper bag dazzle."
|
Ed Gibbs
|
|
26%
|
Kath & Kimderella ()
|
"The show's creators have attempted to make a stand-alone movie moderately distinct from the small-screen episodes. It's a welcome idea but unfortunately the execution is so deeply flawed that the film suffers mightily. "
|
Craig Mathieson
|
78%
33%
100%
85%
45%
40%
