Laurence Boyce
Tomatometer-approved critic
UK
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Typist Artist Pirate King (2022) |
While it is sometimes messy and chaotic, there’s a passion and a verve here that give the film genuine heart. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Mar 16, 2023
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My Name is Alfred Hitchcock (2022) |
Cousins, as erudite, persuasive and educated as he is, always approaches the material with the enthusiasm of a fan, and his observations and claims often invite fulsome discussion and debate. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Mar 03, 2023
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Mamacruz (2023) |
A personal and affecting piece of work that is both an achingly human portrait of a woman exploring her desires in her later years and a celebration of female sexuality. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jan 26, 2023
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Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (2023) |
Those seeing Smoke Sauna Sisterhood will certainly feel uplifted upon seeing it. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jan 26, 2023
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Fantastic Machine (2023) |
The huge amount of archive footage is well chosen, with much that surprises. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jan 26, 2023
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A Bunch of Amateurs (2022) |
A thoroughly moving and ultimately joyful affair. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Dec 22, 2022
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Young & Afraid (2021) |
Even though much in the movie is swathed in darkness, it is ultimately a paean to the fact that there is light at the end of the tunnel. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Dec 22, 2022
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Neon Spring (2022) |
As a coming-of-age tale, it's something of a well-worn cinematic (and cultural) genre. Many of the clichés of the genre are out in full force in Neon Spring, its knowledge about said clichés make this an often intriguing film. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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Vesper (2022) |
Many of the beats and visuals of the movie echo cinema past. But Buožytė and Samper still manage to put a very unique stamp on proceedings to create a consistently thought-provoking and immersive affair. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jul 08, 2022
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January (2022) |
Love and coming of age are interrupted by harsh reality in Viesturs Kairišs’ evocative period piece - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jun 17, 2022
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Woman on the Roof (2022) |
Anna Jadowska’s latest film is a stark and compelling examination of twilight-year malaise and a societal attitude towards women that is fundamentally broken - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jun 16, 2022
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My Love Affair with Marriage (2022) |
Latvian director Signe Baumane returns with a gloriously fun new feature that melds musical, science, animation and female rebellion - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jun 16, 2022
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Cop Secret (2021) |
This warm-hearted cop spoof is an uneven but riotously entertaining ride. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted May 26, 2022
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) |
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sees the Marvel Cinematic Universe take a tentative step into the world of horror. What results is one of the more emotionally dark and dour yet striking entries in to the MCU. - Tripwire Magazine
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| Posted May 05, 2022
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Flash Gordon (1980) |
While it is undoubtedly messy, silly and incoherent, Flash Gordon still works 40 years on from its original release. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted May 05, 2022
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Undergods (2020) |
A fitting metaphor for the creeping sense of unease and disconnection that seems to be prevalent throughout much of the modern world. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted May 05, 2022
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The Filmmaker's House (2020) |
Race, hospitality and grief collide in Mark Isaacs’ clever, playful, thought-provoking documentary. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted May 05, 2022
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The Story of Looking (2021) |
Mark Cousins’ beautiful, moving and inventive exploration of how we see is his most personal film to date.
- VODzilla.co
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| Posted May 05, 2022
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Uncharted (2022) |
Nathan Drake might not sport a bullwhip or fedora, and he might avoid raiding tombs, but the beats of his adventures are as old as some of the treasures he seeks. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted May 04, 2022
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Office Space (1999) |
“Work sucks” is the simple tagline of cult classic Office Space. More than two decades since the film was released, it seems that there are a lot more people who agree. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted May 03, 2022
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The Batman (2022) |
The Batman shows that Reeves interpretation is one that knows that Caped Crusader was always as famous for his brains as his brawn - Tripwire Magazine
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| Posted Apr 22, 2022
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The Spine of Night (2021) |
The Spine of Night is a defiantly old school piece of work. Yet whilst it undoubtedly plays with nostalgia, the films overwhelming atmosphere is one of compelling nihilism as it presents us with an impressively rendered onslaught of violence and despair. - Tripwire Magazine
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| Posted Apr 20, 2022
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The Story of Film: A New Generation (2022) |
Cousins shows us that dreams still live within the realms of cinema. And that the greatest films still can offer us hope, escape and contemplation. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Apr 20, 2022
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Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) |
Venom: Let There Be Carnage is slight, but its a reminder that comic book films are also meant to be fun, entertaining and ridiculous - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Apr 19, 2022
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Saving One Who Was Dead (2021) |
As the movie reaches an ambiguous conclusion, there's an air of Roy Andersson as it flirts with both theatricality and overt surrealism. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Sep 09, 2021
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Runner (2021) |
Blaevičius ventures further down his path of being one of the most interesting young directors in Lithuania today, with Runner continuing to show that the director has both an empathetic touch and a knack for exploring contemporary issues. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Aug 27, 2021
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Alien on Stage (2020) |
A genuinely fun, sweet and heartfelt documentary that celebrates how creative endeavour can be found in the most unlikely of places... - Cineuropa
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| Posted Mar 29, 2021
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Raggie (2020) |
Raggie feels very similar to many other animations of its ilk, designed to keep an audience of children happy throughout its scant 74 minutes. On that level, the film does work admirably. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Sep 15, 2020
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Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles (2018) |
Buñuel and the Labyrinth of the Turtles is an often complex affair that tries to fit much in within a scant 75-minute runtim - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Aug 10, 2020
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(undefined) |
While it is often unflinchingly tragic, it still shows something magnificent about the human spirit, even when faced with the most terrible of circumstances. - Cineuropa
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| Posted May 29, 2020
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) |
Rise of Skywalker is less a film and more a series of moments strung together to please a cabal of corporate overlords. - SF Crowsnest
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| Posted Apr 15, 2020
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Toni Erdmann (2016) |
A subtle yet affecting exploration of modern life values. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Mar 23, 2020
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Rafiki (2018) |
A tale of acceptance, hope and young love, Rafiki is a beautiful, thought-provoking romance. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Mar 23, 2020
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Dogs Don't Wear Pants (2020) |
A surprisingly joyful and darkly comic exploration of grief, trauma and desire. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Mar 21, 2020
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Superman: Red Son (2020) |
Keeps many of the core beats of the original comic and tries to provide a modicum of intelligent discourse on the nature of politics and personal ethics whilst concentrating on all the action orientated antics one would expect in a superhero film. - Tripwire Magazine
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| Posted Mar 17, 2020
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I Am Cuba (1964) |
Mikhail Kalatozov's astonishing portrait of Cuba transcends its propaganda origins and deserves a more prominent place in cinema history. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Feb 29, 2020
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Holmes & Watson (2018) |
Etan Cohen's comedy take on Holmes and Watson is a load of old Baskerville hound droppings - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Feb 29, 2020
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Jellyfish (2018) |
This superbly acted coming-of-age Brit flick isn't exactly what you'd call a comedy - but it's a helluva set. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Feb 29, 2020
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Get Santa (2014) |
A starry cast and family-friendly humour make this British comedy an enjoyable - and sometimes unique - yuletide offering. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Feb 29, 2020
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2020 Oscar Nominated Shorts - Live Action (2020) |
The Oscar selection of shorts are a diverse selection, but there are underlying themes - including youth, remembrance and the triumph of the human spirit - that unite them all - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Feb 29, 2020
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(undefined) |
Lillak's access is remarkable, with the film providing many an unguarded moment. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Nov 04, 2019
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The Bull (Byk) (2019) |
There's not much new in The Bull, but there is enough verve and assuredness to declare this a strong debut from Akopov, and it will be interesting to see where his career will take him next. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jul 11, 2019
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Away (2019) |
The production history of this feature by Latvian animator Gints Zilbalodis is fascinating, but it's what finally made it to the big screen that truly impresses. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jun 24, 2019
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Stress (2018) |
The result is a damning indictment of the industrial military complex, not because of the kinds of wars it fights, but because of how it treats a large number of those involved in said wars. Yet Stress does offer some sort of hope and redemption. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jun 07, 2019
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Newly Single (2017) |
Caustic, cynical and clever, this funny takedown of the LA dating scene is a richly satisfying indie gem. - VODzilla.co
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| Posted Jan 09, 2019
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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) |
This is not only a fresh take on the character of Spider-Man, and an investigation on what makes him (and her) so enduring, but also one of the best superhero movies of the past few years. - Tripwire Magazine
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| Posted Dec 11, 2018
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Birds Are Singing in Kigali (2017) |
The stand-out is Rwandan actress Elaine Umuhire whose combination of quiet dignity and fierce anger is mesmerising. - Screen International
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| Posted Oct 22, 2018
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Suleiman Mountain (2017) |
[A] sheen of familiarity is undercut by Stishova and screenwriter Alisa Khmelnitskaya's intelligent interweaving of some traditional narrative tropes with an examination of Kyrgyz folklore - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jul 10, 2018
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Brothers (2018) |
But even when the plot becomes predictable, the film is somewhat saved by its strong performances: in particular, Yazar strikes a believable tone as young Yusuf, as he brings some quiet understatement to the role. - Cineuropa
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| Posted Jul 05, 2018
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Putin's Witnesses (2018) |
An extraordinarily revealing portrait of Vladimir Putin's ascension to power at the turn of the century. - Screen International
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| Posted Jul 02, 2018
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