James Mottram
James Mottram's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer® when published at the following Tomatometer-approved publication(s):
Total Film
Radio Times
Digital Spy
Film4
The List
South China Morning Post
The National (UAE)
SFX Magazine
Filmstar Magazine
Movies reviews only
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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) |
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse more than matches its predecessor. Deeper, darker, crazier, funnier, it’s The Empire Strikes Back of animated sequels. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Jun 01, 2023
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Cobweb (2023) |
Far too indulgent, the lengthy 135-minute running time is not merited; a much crisper, leaner story would have served the humour far better. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 29, 2023
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Elemental (2023) |
It’s true that after all that lovely world-building, the film flags in the middle section, but there are moments of true beauty in Elemental that will appeal to incurable romantics everywhere. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 29, 2023
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Perfect Days (2023) |
Yakusho revels in a performance where gestures, not words, are key. It’s a sublime piece of acting in a film that charms you with its simplicity. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 26, 2023
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Hopeless (2023) |
Hopeless is a competently made and acted drama that is moodily shot. It simmers with tension. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 26, 2023
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Kubi (2023) |
Even if you fail to grasp the nuances, Kubi is such an exhilarating ride at times that it scarcely matters. From mid-air fights to vast battles, from female ninja assassins to castles set ablaze, there’s plenty to feast your eyes upon. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 24, 2023
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Asteroid City (2023) |
This is Anderson at his most off-kilter. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 24, 2023
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May December (2023) |
It is not top-tier Haynes, weighed down as it is by heavy-handed symbolism. But for all the flaws, cinema enthusiasts will delight in picking it apart. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 22, 2023
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Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) |
Following Scorsese’s mournful hymn to mob rule in his last film, 2019’s The Irishman, Killers of the Flower Moon is every bit as powerful – a late-career masterpiece. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 22, 2023
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) |
Director James Mangold, stepping in for Steven Spielberg, brings the character’s adventures to a satisfying close, while Ford revels in reprising the role for one last hurrah. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 22, 2023
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Monster (2023) |
Monster is cleverly engineered, subtle and supple. It’s a film that hides its true intentions until the very last. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 22, 2023
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) |
It’s not perfect, but for big, dumb MCU fun the Guardians still deliver. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted May 22, 2023
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No Bears (2022) |
A typically tricksy and self-reflective work from Jafar Panahi, No Bears marks the fifth film the Iranian director has made covertly since the authorities banned him from filmmaking and international travel in 2010. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Apr 19, 2023
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Beau Is Afraid (2023) |
That Aster has even got a film this wilfully perverse made is miraculous. Violent, hallucinogenic, twisted – there are not enough adjectives to even scratch the surface of this hugely ambitious psychological drama ... A once-in-a-generation kind of movie. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Apr 11, 2023
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) |
An impressive Hollywood A-list voice cast and a script filled with nods to the video game series adds to the appeal, although by about the hour mark, you might well feel this is just one long chase movie. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Apr 11, 2023
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John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) |
Director Chad Stahelski delivers an insanely outrageous action film, clocking in at two-and-three-quarter hours. Is that excessive? Yes. But the John Wick franchise thrives on excess. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Mar 21, 2023
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Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) |
A muddled sequel that gets more tiresome by the minute despite some worthy additions to the cast. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Mar 16, 2023
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) |
Visually impressive, fast-moving, and often funny, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves should please hardened players and newbies alike. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Mar 16, 2023
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Art College 1994 (2023) |
Liu’s unique animation style is stunning, made more so with odd artistic flourishes such as a painting of Lili filled with babies, fish, cameras and more. And for all its flaws, it’s still a one-off in the world of animation. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Mar 07, 2023
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Creed III (2023) |
The obligatory training montage sizzles (complete with a joyful moment at the Hollywood Sign), while the fight scenes have a real stinging quality to match anything in the original Rocky films. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Mar 07, 2023
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Suzume (2022) |
Weaving fantasy elements into a contemporary story, one that takes audiences on a picaresque journey around Japan, Shinkai creates yet another smart, sassy look at the world around us. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Mar 07, 2023
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In Water (2023) |
In Water works best when it focuses on the trio of friends as they sit around drinking and eating. ... Where the film falls down is an irritating decision to shoot most of the scenes out of focus. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Mar 07, 2023
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Past Lives (2023) |
Tender and moving, Past Lives will touch the depths of your soul with its honesty and integrity. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Feb 22, 2023
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The Shadowless Tower (2023) |
This gentle tale of soul-searching has some moments and images to savour. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Feb 22, 2023
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Kill Boksoon (2023) |
There’s a visceral quality to the fight scenes and a rock-solid performance at its core from Jeon Do-yeon. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Feb 19, 2023
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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (2023) |
This new Ant-Man outing truly lives up to its title. The manic multi-coloured world makes it feel like you’ve just stepped in the Star Wars cantina, while weird and wonderful creatures fill the screen. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Feb 15, 2023
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Magic Mike's Last Dance (2023) |
Magic Mike’s Last Dance, the third and hopefully final escapade for Tatum’s buff stripper, feels like a bizarre, Downton Abbey-inspired fantasy that may appeal to ageing American audiences but few others. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Feb 14, 2023
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Knock at the Cabin (2023) |
While it’s often the case that Shyamalan’s narratives lack substance beneath the flash, Knock at the Cabin does enough to prompt thought-provoking debate: What would you sacrifice for the world? And is it worth saving? - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Feb 02, 2023
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M3GAN (2022) |
It may not make a ‘scariest movies ever’ list, but it’s thoroughly entertaining – funny, offbeat and surprising. - metro.co.uk
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| Posted Jan 14, 2023
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A Man Called Otto (2022) |
The film narrowly avoids tipping over into mawkish sentimentality. Just occasionally, its embers will warm your heart. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Dec 29, 2022
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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022) |
A dignified look at one of the greatest divas we ever had. - metro.co.uk
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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The Pale Blue Eye (2022) |
A class act from start to finish. - metro.co.uk
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022) |
Whether viewers buy Lemmons’ upbeat approach in the film’s final third remains to be seen, but this is an honourable attempt to give Houston’s story a respectable cinematic telling. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Dec 22, 2022
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Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) |
The film can jar when oscillating between the CG-realised worlds and sequences with actors playing non-Na’vi characters, but for the most part The Way of Water is a sumptuous visual tapestry. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Dec 14, 2022
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Emancipation (2022) |
Director Antoine Fuqua doesn’t spare viewers from the grisly realities of the era. As for Smith, he brings to life the man from the photograph. He’s a rock at Emancipation’s centre. You’ll want to see it through with him. - metro.co.uk
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| Posted Dec 09, 2022
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Emancipation (2022) |
Does the film add anything to our knowledge of slavery? Arguably not. It’s a straightforward work in many ways, one that makes you shudder at this horrifying slice of history. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Dec 05, 2022
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Tori and Lokita (2022) |
The result may be low-key, but it’s an impressive return to form by the Dardennes, nonetheless. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Dec 05, 2022
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Violent Night (2022) |
Overall, Violent Night is knockabout fun, but if only the script wasn’t so pleased with itself. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Dec 05, 2022
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The Fabelmans (2022) |
In this case the director is Steven Spielberg, and the result is a tender and deeply personal recollection of his family upbringing and his early love for filmmaking. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Nov 29, 2022
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Strange World (2022) |
This family saga from Don Hall and Qui Nguyen is certainly arresting, with plenty of imaginative visuals to feast the eyes on. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Nov 22, 2022
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Spirited (2022) |
...there’s something slightly too slick and charm-free about it, which director Sean Anders never quite overcomes... - metro.co.uk
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| Posted Nov 17, 2022
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Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022) |
Given how pant-wettingly funny ‘Weird’ Al’s songs are (‘Amish Paradise’ alone is genius), it’s a shame it never really translates to screen. Weird, right? - metro.co.uk
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| Posted Nov 11, 2022
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
Coogler, who dedicates the film to Boseman, has created a film that allows us to mourn the loss of this elegant actor. Themes of grief and moving forward loom large in the film, while actors like Wright and Bassett grow with their expanded roles. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Nov 09, 2022
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Black Adam (2022) |
Black Adam sets its characters up well enough, but rarely pauses for breath. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Oct 19, 2022
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) |
This is a magical masterwork of the highest order. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Oct 18, 2022
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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) |
Knives Out put the fun back into film whodunits, and Glass Onion ramps that up. Deliciously scripted by Johnson, it is a spry comic look at how the other half live. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Oct 17, 2022
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She Said (2022) |
German-born director Maria Schrader has done a fine job with this film, and it ranks alongside Watergate drama All the President’s Men or the more recent Catholic Church scandal tale Spotlight. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Oct 17, 2022
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Bones and All (2022) |
A film about companionship, abandonment, and reckoning with your roots, it’s rough, raw and not entirely perfect. But it will only amplify the already sizeable cult of Timothée Chalamet. - metro.co.uk
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| Posted Oct 11, 2022
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Amsterdam (2022) |
Amsterdam has a charming, shaggy-dog feel – a crazed story for a crazy world. - South China Morning Post
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| Posted Sep 30, 2022
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Pearl (2022) |
At its heart, Goth is fabulous, switching from her sweet-and-sunny persona to full-on raging diva. - Total Film
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| Posted Sep 12, 2022
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