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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/5 | 100% | Dina (2017) |
A diverting - if hardly life-changing - doc.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Oct 23, 2017
|
| 3/5 | No Score Yet | Access All Areas (2017) |
A group of kids head off to the 'Isle of Sound' music festival to cut loose and give their parents the shakes in this mildly entertaining romp.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Oct 23, 2017
|
| 3/5 | 100% | I Am Not a Witch (2017) |
Aesthetically brave, narratively chaotic, this casts a singular spell.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Oct 23, 2017
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| 4/5 | 95% | Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) |
Aided by an astounding Vaughn, Zahler's ultra-violent genre mash-up is bloody terrific.‐ Total Film
Read More | Posted Oct 23, 2017
|
| 4/5 | 98% | Thor: Ragnarok (2017) |
With its heart powered by Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song, this is superhero rock 'n' roll with lashings of Waititi-led comedy.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Oct 19, 2017
|
| 3/5 | 90% | Only the Brave (2017) |
When the fires start raging, the director stages the action with real confidence. Even if the patriotism is poured on like kerosene, this one burns with intensity.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Oct 15, 2017
|
| 2/5 | 9% | The Snowman (2017) |
... fritters away a cast headed by Michael Fassbender and Rebecca Ferguson.‐ The List
Read More | Posted Oct 13, 2017
|
| 2/5 | 49% | The Glass Castle (2017) |
Maybe she's weighed down by the big hair but [Brie] Larson is left with the least interesting role.‐ Metro (UK)
Read More | Posted Oct 11, 2017
|
| 2/5 | 43% | The Mountain Between Us (2017) |
The final act is mushy without ever really earning the right to be, and Elba and Winslet - despite a steamy love scene - have zero chemistry.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Oct 3, 2017
|
| 4/5 | 60% | Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017) |
It's a competent and credible work, even dipping into fantasy with a couple of subtle animated moments that bring alive the enchanting illustrations featured in the Pooh books.‐ The List
Read More | Posted Oct 3, 2017
|
| 4.5/5 | 88% | Blade Runner 2049 (2017) |
This is really Villeneuve's film: he surpasses even his own 2016 sci-fi Arrival with this stunning visual masterpiece.‐ South China Morning Post
Read More | Posted Oct 3, 2017
|
| 2.5/5 | 51% | 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 | 33% | 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 | 69% | 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 | 87% | 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 | 97% | 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 | 69% | 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 | 49% | 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 | 92% | 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
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| 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
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| 3/5 | 49% | 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 | 56% | 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 | 75% | 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 | 56% | 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 | 14% | 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
|
| 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 | 79% | 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 | 69% | 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
|
| 3/5 | 71% | 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
|
| 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
|
| 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
|
| 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 | 98% | 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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