James Mottram
James Mottram's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer when
published at the following Tomatometer-approved publication(s):
Total Film,
Film4,
Time Out,
Digital Spy,
Filmstar Magazine,
The National (UAE),
The List,
South China Morning Post
Movie Reviews Only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/5 | 97% | Bumblebee (2018) |
Bumblebee is a surprisingly enjoyable ride for a franchise that felt like it'd long since rusted over.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Dec 11, 2018
|
| 5/5 | No Score Yet | Roma (2008) |
Cuarón has created one of the great films of this century.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Dec 11, 2018
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| 4.5/5 | 99% | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) |
Not since the first Sam Raimi-directed live-action Spider-Man has there been a movie about Marvel's web-slinging superhero that's been so darn fun.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Dec 10, 2018
|
| 4.5/5 | 91% | Widows (2018) |
Rendered with real pace and power, the film weaves sexual, racial and social politics into a gripping, muscular story.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Dec 4, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 95% | 3 Faces (2018) |
What results is a film that witheringly observes the complexities and moral conundrums of contemporary Iran, albeit through the muddied windscreen of Panahi's car.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Nov 26, 2018
|
| 2.5/5 | 40% | The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) |
More a 007-lite action movie, all sexy motorcycle chases and sniper shoot-outs, Spider's Web lacks the emotional punch of the book or of the earlier Lisbeth Salander films.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Nov 21, 2018
|
| 4.5/5 | 38% | Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) |
Rowling has never been afraid to get political and so it goes here. This richly rewarding tale feels like a blockbuster for our troubled times.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Nov 12, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 37% | Hunter Killer (2018) |
The only depth may be of the nautical kind, but Hunter Killer is still surprisingly fun.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Oct 22, 2018
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| 4/5 | 86% | The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) |
Miseducation benefits from Moretz in the lead. Her abilities and maturity go well beyond her 21 years, and this is surely the finest of her films to date.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Oct 18, 2018
|
| 2/5 | 28% | Venom (2018) |
Venom is a film as messy as the amorphous black blob at its core.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Oct 2, 2018
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| 4/5 | 74% | Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) |
Bags of fun. Goddard and his cast have a riot in a thriller that dances to its own beat.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Sep 28, 2018
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| 4/5 | 97% | God's Own Country (2017) |
There's no question that Lee is a bold new voice in British cinema.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Sep 27, 2018
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| 2.5/5 | 79% | Alpha (2018) |
In spite of some epic visuals, Alpha feels overly familiar as it lumbers towards a plodding and predictable final act.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Sep 24, 2018
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| 3/5 | 44% | Swimming with Men (2018) |
It never outstrips The Full Monty, but for those looking for a gentle tale with an unashamedly romantic streak, this film should float your boat.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Sep 17, 2018
|
| 4/5 | 88% | First Man (2018) |
Gosling and especially Foy are out of this world.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Sep 11, 2018
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| 4/5 | 90% | A Star Is Born (2018) |
Superb. Gaga and Cooper deliver Oscar-worthy turns in a remake that hits the high notes.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Sep 10, 2018
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| 3/5 | 23% | The Happytime Murders (2018) |
Put it this way: McCarthy is virtually a nun next to these X-rated puppets and she's still her usual bawdy self. Prepare to be shocked.‐ Metro (UK)
Read More | Posted Aug 29, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 23% | Mile 22 (2018) |
Mile 22 is extraordinarily violent, but Berg is so relentless in his pacing that it's hard not to keep watching.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Aug 22, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 91% | Mirai (2018) |
Hosoda's light touch brings the story to life with bright visuals and good humour.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Aug 22, 2018
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| 4/5 | 95% | BlacKkKlansman (2018) |
Spike Lee roars back to form with his best film in ages.‐ Metro (UK)
Read More | Posted Aug 22, 2018
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| 2/5 | 21% | Terminal (2018) |
A neon-drenched film noir steeped in film clichés, Vaughn Stein's tale of femmes fatales, hitmen and suicide cases feels as terminal as the title suggests.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Aug 18, 2018
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| 3/5 | 81% | Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) |
A prequel-sequel that won't win any converts but will please fans of the first film.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Aug 18, 2018
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| 2.5/5 | 46% | The Meg (2018) |
The Meg is a shark movie that doesn't offer any major scares, despite boasting a monster 25 metres in length.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Aug 9, 2018
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| 3/5 | No Score Yet | The Giant Pear (Den utrolige historie om den kæmpestore pære) (2017) |
The journey is a little perfunctory, and the fate of our heroes is never really in doubt, but for a Euro-produced cartoon, this film is a joyful ride full of positive messages for children.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Aug 9, 2018
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| 4/5 | 71% | Christopher Robin (2018) |
Heartfelt, charming and very, very funny. Plugging into the same fuzzy nostalgia as the Paddington movies, this is a film for kids big and small.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Aug 9, 2018
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| 4.5/5 | 97% | Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) |
Mission: Impossible - Fallout is full of outrageous stunts, exotic locales, an engrossing plot and nerve-shredding tension.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jul 25, 2018
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| 4/5 | 94% | Incredibles 2 (2018) |
A wonderful rejoinder to the DC and Marvel superhero movies, Incredibles 2 nails it.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jul 18, 2018
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| 4/5 | 63% | Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) |
Though not as startlingly original as its predecessor, Soldado still throbs with energy and tension. ‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Jun 25, 2018
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| 4/5 | 100% | Leave No Trace (2018) |
This is a film strongly invested in those marginalised by society.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Jun 25, 2018
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| 4/5 | 55% | The Bookshop (2018) |
Restrained, but never overly so, The Bookshop deserves plenty of custom.‐ The List
Read More | Posted Jun 25, 2018
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| 3/5 | 70% | Adrift (2018) |
What does work is the chemistry between Woodley and Claflin, who convincingly convey that first flush of romance. Like any good date movie, their belief in each other is what keeps you watching.‐ The List
Read More | Posted Jun 25, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 99% | Faces Places (Visages, villages) (2017) |
If Faces Places is a reckoning with [Varda's] past, then it does so in a unique and charming way.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jun 20, 2018
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| 3/5 | 70% | Happy End (2017) |
Happy End feels a minor work in Haneke's canon, like a collection of outtakes from his more significant films.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jun 18, 2018
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| 4/5 | 86% | Let the Sunshine In (Un beau soleil intérieur) (2018) |
Bright Sunshine In is both profoundly silly and acutely observed.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jun 10, 2018
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| 4/5 | 70% | Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) |
It's a feel-good take on the saga's flyboy - and as such the film is immensely satisfying.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jun 10, 2018
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| 4/5 | 70% | Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) |
Howard raises his game here, speeding us through unusual landscapes and top-notch set pieces.‐ Digital Spy
Read More | Posted May 30, 2018
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| 4/5 | 80% | The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) |
A film that reinforces just what a distinct voice Lanthimos is, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a twisted and perverse parlour game that shocks and surprises in equal measure.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 18, 2018
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| 3.5/5 | 92% | Revenge (2018) |
Revenge is hardly profound - and some will surely find it all very distasteful - but tense, traumatic and eye-wateringly gory, it sure sizzles off the screen.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 18, 2018
|
| 73% | Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles (2014) |
Solid, straightforward but immaculately researched, Chuck Workmans documentary is a fitting tribute to the maverick Welles. If he were alive today, hed surely raise a glass. ‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted May 2, 2018
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|
| 5/5 | 84% | Avengers: Infinity War (2018) |
Easily the best Marvel movie ever made, this is also shaping up to be one of the great blockbusters of the 21st-century.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 24, 2018
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| 4/5 | 89% | Isle of Dogs (2018) |
This may be Anderson's riff on Kurosawa's urban thrillers High and Low and Stray Dog - but it is also his funniest film.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 22, 2018
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| 3/5 | 37% | Gringo (2018) |
Gringo has some real snap to the action scenes, and just the right level of craziness.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 22, 2018
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| 2/5 | 52% | Rampage (2018) |
Put the biggest action star on the planet alongside even bigger creatures and what do you have? A giant CGI monstrosity that has to be a front runner for next year's Razzie awards.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 11, 2018
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| 5/5 | 94% | Loveless (Nelyubov) (2018) |
Zvyagintsev is a powerful teller of the truth, and his latest is a modern-day masterpiece.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 10, 2018
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| 4/5 | 95% | A Quiet Place (2018) |
You'll be grabbing your armrest tighter and tighter with this one.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 9, 2018
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| 3/5 | 82% | Early Man (2018) |
Not vintage Aardman, but there's still fun to be had.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 3, 2018
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| 4/5 | 72% | Ready Player One (2018) |
Steven Spielberg has delivered a perfect blockbuster for our nostalgia-driven times.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Mar 28, 2018
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| 2/5 | 40% | Mary Magdalene (2018) |
The Greatest Story Ever Told? No, just a tiring slog.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Mar 28, 2018
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| 3/5 | 44% | Pacific Rim Uprising (2018) |
Boyega injects real energy into the film. With him at the controls of a Jaeger, this adolescent franchise can likely survive a third outing.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Mar 24, 2018
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| 4/5 | 80% | Unsane (2018) |
Entirely shot on an iPhone, this is a neatly constructed psychiatric ward thriller that bears all the hallmarks of Polanski and Hitchcock at their most playful.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Mar 21, 2018
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