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,
Filmstar Magazine,
The National (UAE),
The List,
South China Morning Post
Movie Reviews Only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5/5 | 49% | Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) |
With Harry afflicted by amnesia, it is as if the same brain fog has fallen upon Vaughn and his co-writer Jane Goldman. They have forgotten what made the first film great.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Sep 20, 2017
|
| 85% | The Trip to Spain (2017) |
The razor-sharp comedy sees both Coogan and Brydon play exaggerated versions of themselves as they travel to various gourmet eateries.‐ The National (UAE)
Read More | Posted Sep 19, 2017
|
|
| 3/5 | 35% | American Assassin (2017) |
Cuesta injects vitality where it's needed.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Sep 13, 2017
|
| 4/5 | 67% | Victoria & Abdul (2017) |
It's surprisingly effective.‐ The List
Read More | Posted Sep 12, 2017
|
| 4/5 | 67% | mother! (2017) |
Aronofsky's maternal horror is the most out-there studio movie of the year. You won't believe your eyes.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Sep 12, 2017
|
| 3/5 | 78% | An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power (2017) |
A stinging rebuttal to all the deniers and detractors who tried to discredit the original Davis Guggenheim-directed film.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Sep 11, 2017
|
| 4/5 | 88% | American Made (2017) |
This is one of the more enjoyable Cruise outings in a while, at least for those who prefer to see him sacrifice his indestructible alpha-male persona.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Sep 4, 2017
|
| 3/5 | 76% | The Limehouse Golem (2017) |
Lacking any real scares, its ghoulish terror feels muted; but Medina's depiction of Victorian London-- particularly the music hall scene -- is amply atmospheric.‐ The List
Read More | Posted Sep 1, 2017
|
| 2/5 | 38% | The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) |
A buddy film that borrows heavily from the much-better Midnight Run (1988), The Hitman's Bodyguard is foul-mouthed and foul-tempered but rarely raises a pulse or smile. ‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Aug 16, 2017
|
| 3.5/5 | 94% | On Body and Soul (A Teströl és Lélekröl) (2017) |
A blend of the corporeal and the cerebral, Hungarian writer-director Ildikó Enyedi's first film in 18 years is a mysterious, poetic and sometimes baffling piece.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Aug 15, 2017
|
| 3.5/5 | 68% | Annabelle: Creation (2017) |
Mixing minimal CGI with plenty of in-camera visuals (furniture flying, demonic creatures, fingers snapping), it's a horror cauldron that simmers away nicely, before bubbling fiercely.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Aug 8, 2017
|
| 2/5 | 50% | Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) |
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a visual banquet that leaves you feeling sick.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jul 26, 2017
|
| 3/5 | 43% | Sweet Dreams (Fai bei sogni) (2016) |
The film is more a series of isolated high points than a united whole, but it has bags of charm.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jul 18, 2017
|
| 4.5/5 | 93% | Dunkirk (2017) |
No war film you've seen before - from Das Boot to Saving Private Ryan to The Thin Red Line - comes close to what Nolan has created here.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jul 17, 2017
|
| 3/5 | 70% | The Unknown Girl (La fille inconnue) (2017) |
Even if the end result is not quite as punchy as earlier films, a minor Dardenne work is still something that demands your attention.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jul 11, 2017
|
| 3.5/5 | 93% | War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) |
It's refreshing to see a blockbuster that - until the end at least - isn't all about carnage and mayhem.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jul 10, 2017
|
| 4/5 | 75% | Wiener-Dog (2016) |
Todd Solondz is back to his savage best with Wiener-Dog, an episodic movie following the life of a little dachshund.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jul 7, 2017
|
| 4/5 | 92% | Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) |
For sheer fun, Spider-Man: Homecoming is hard to beat.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jul 3, 2017
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| 4/5 | 92% | Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) |
Against the odds, Homecoming breathes new life into the character.‐ The List
Read More | Posted Jun 30, 2017
|
| 3/5 | 15% | Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) |
The film is, of course, aimed squarely at 13-year-old boys, and with that in mind, it fills its purpose.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Jun 20, 2017
|
| 3/5 | 48% | Churchill (2017) |
[Cox gives] a star turn, even if it doesn't quite have the film it deserves to accompany it.‐ The National (UAE)
Read More | Posted Jun 7, 2017
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| 4/5 | 53% | City of Tiny Lights (2016) |
A film noir with a difference, Pete Travis' City of Tiny Lights is an intoxicating brew: dark and dangerous, but also achingly romantic.‐ The National (UAE)
Read More | Posted Jun 2, 2017
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| 4/5 | 74% | The Sense Of An Ending (2017) |
It's a richly thought-provoking attempt to bring Barnes' story to life.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 30, 2017
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| 3/5 | 63% | The Dancer (La danseuse) (2016) |
The staging of Fuller's work (notably her Serpentine Dance) is beguiling, even if some patchy editing has been used to switch between the actors and their body doubles. ‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 23, 2017
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| 3.5/5 | 29% | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) |
With incoming co-directors, fresh faces, surprise cameos and a rollicking script, this fifth instalment sparkles like pirate booty.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 22, 2017
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| 4/5 | 95% | Graduation (Bacalaureat) (2017) |
A striking drama that rigorously deals with themes of corruption and moral decline.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 16, 2017
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| 2/5 | 15% | Spark: A Space Tail (2017) |
Spark: A Space Tail is a real mishmash of a movie.‐ The National (UAE)
Read More | Posted May 12, 2017
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| 3/5 | 28% | King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (2017) |
Hunnam is eminently watchable as the Excalibur-wielding Arthur, here revealed to be born in very humble surroundings. Likewise Law ... gives a menacing turn as the evil King Vortigern.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 11, 2017
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| 3/5 | 80% | Personal Shopper (2017) |
Stewart is placed in far scarier circumstances than in the vampire-driven Twilight franchise that made her name.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 9, 2017
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| 4/5 | 70% | Alien: Covenant (2017) |
'Alien' fans will revel in the terror.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 6, 2017
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| 2/5 | 31% | From the Land of the Moon (Mal de pierres) (2017) |
Cotillard does what's required, and she dovetails well with actor-turned-director Garcia. But this is substandard material for both.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 1, 2017
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| 3/5 | 72% | Gifted (2017) |
It's predictable but pleasurable enough - an inoffensive charmer that doesn't outstay its welcome.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted May 1, 2017
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| 4/5 | 96% | Paterson (2016) |
Delivered with humour and pathos, this is a literary film in more ways than one. ... Those who find pleasure in the written word will discover much to enjoy here.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 30, 2017
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| 3/5 | 82% | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) |
From the obligatory Stan Lee cameo to the also-obligatory post-credits sequences, Marvel knows its audience.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 24, 2017
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| 4/5 | 88% | Their Finest (2017) |
Funny, tender and touching, this is a well-crafted story with plenty to offer.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Apr 19, 2017
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| 4/5 | 100% | Things to Come (L'avenir) (2016) |
Huppert's subtle portrait of a woman trying to stem the flow of a life crisis remains engaging, humorous and powerful until the very end.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 18, 2017
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| 3.5/5 | 66% | The Fate of the Furious (2017) |
The Fate of the Furious is an engrossing, lightning-paced fairground ride.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 10, 2017
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| 4/5 | 97% | Hell or High Water (2016) |
It's a dirty, sweaty, violent, tragic tale, but vigorously realised.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 5, 2017
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| 3/5 | 38% | Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017) |
As for the voice talent, Homeland's Mandy Patinkin is the standout, as Papa Smurf -- his warm tones are perfect to play the aged patriarchal figure.‐ The National (UAE)
Read More | Posted Apr 3, 2017
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| 3/5 | 83% | A United Kingdom (2017) |
Amma Asante's third film is a tastefully made true-life story, based around a forgotten romance that caused familial, national and international strife.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Apr 3, 2017
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| 3.5/5 | 44% | Ghost in the Shell (2017) |
Purely for a visual standpoint, Ghost in the Shell is a thing of absolute beauty.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Mar 28, 2017
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| 3/5 | 23% | Collide (2017) |
While a dyed-blonde Jones does gamely with another thinly-sketched role, the real fun of [the film] is watching Kingsley and Hopkins deliver two of the more off-kilter performances of their careers.‐ The National (UAE)
Read More | Posted Mar 24, 2017
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| 3/5 | 67% | Life (2017) |
Heart-pounding tension spoilt by jarring plot holes.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Mar 22, 2017
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| 4/5 | 71% | Beauty and the Beast (2017) |
Under Condon's watchful eye, a whole new generation of children will fall in love with Belle and her Beast.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Mar 13, 2017
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| 2/5 | 45% | It's Only the End of the World (Juste la fin du monde) (2016) |
It's Only the End of the World is a familial drama with emotions pitched to hysterical levels, and it's quite a trial to spend 97 minutes in its presence.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Mar 10, 2017
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| 3.5/5 | 76% | Kong: Skull Island (2017) |
Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts strikes a fine balance between action, drama and humour.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Mar 7, 2017
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| 4/5 | 91% | Elle (2016) |
A textured, nimble work, Elle will leave you gasping at its brilliantly bad behaviour.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Mar 6, 2017
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| 4/5 | 79% | T2 Trainspotting (2017) |
If the first film tapped into the chemical generation, T2 deals with our addiction to nostalgia. ... A marvellous sequel.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Feb 28, 2017
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| 4.5/5 | 92% | Toni Erdmann (2016) |
Ade, in only her third film as director, blends familial drama, comedy of embarrassment and a social critique of sexism in the workplace into a unique comic cauldron.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Feb 28, 2017
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| 3/5 | 27% | Fist Fight (2017) |
Cult status beckons.‐ The National (UAE)
Read More | Posted Feb 23, 2017
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