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4/5
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Oppenheimer
(2023)
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Roe McDermott
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This is Cillian Murphy’s film and his performance is sublimely layered.
Posted Jul 21, 2023
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4/5
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Barbie
(2023)
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Roe McDermott
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Margot Robbie oozes charm and radiance and pathos every moment of the film. The production design and costuming are sublimely fun, with pink plastic exclamation points marking every visual gaga and every nostalgic callback.
Posted Jul 21, 2023
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Pearl
(2022)
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Roe McDermott
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For a film with such darkness, violence and pitch-black humour, the visuals of Pearl are a technicolour delight.
Posted Mar 23, 2023
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Knock at the Cabin
(2023)
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Roe McDermott
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Bautista’s vulnerability adds an intriguing layer to Leonard -- a man who may be a saviour, or a delusional murderer. It’s a performance to remember.
Posted Feb 03, 2023
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Tár
(2022)
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Roe McDermott
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Every shot in TÁR is sumptuously composed, with the production and costume design providing insight into the character’s emotional state.
Posted Jan 19, 2023
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House of Gucci
(2021)
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Roe McDermott
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The dysfunctional web of family, money and power makes House Of Gucci feel like a better-dressed version of Succession.
Posted Dec 28, 2021
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5/5
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Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
(2021)
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Roe McDermott
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A truly sublime, joyous, inspiring festival film that has gone from unseen to instantly iconic. Get ready to rethink history and dance in the aisles at the same time.
Posted Jul 22, 2021
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4/5
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Saint Maud
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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Though Saint Maud employs some well-worn tropes of religion-themed horror, her precise style, psychological exploration, and intense atmosphere make this an extremely promising debut.
Posted Dec 07, 2020
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Tenet
(2020)
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Roe McDermott
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The performances are all excellent, with Debicki elevating Nolan's rote depiction of abusive relationships and motherhood, and Pattinson providing louche charm galore, while Washington is an endlessly compelling presence...
Posted Aug 26, 2020
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Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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Overall, The Pieces I Am is a celebratory, empowering and vivacious documentary, allowing audiences to bask in the company of the woman behind the legacy.
Posted Mar 13, 2020
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The Photograph
(2020)
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Roe McDermott
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It's a level of insight and emotion the film should have brought to all of its characters. But The Photograph remains (sorry) underdeveloped.
Posted Mar 12, 2020
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4/5
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True History of the Kelly Gang
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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Rewriting history may usually be more even, though it's rarely this evocative.
Posted Mar 12, 2020
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The Shadow of Violence
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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Jarvis is a compelling presence onscreen, bringing a clumsy warmth and innocence to his role, so that even as he beats men to a pulp, you're rooting for him to escape his no-exit existence.
Posted Mar 12, 2020
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Dark Waters
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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They say nothing sticks to Teflon, and in Todd Haynes' corporate conspiracy drama Dark Waters, you'll realise that not much sticks to evil corporations either.
Posted Mar 04, 2020
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The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
(2018)
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Roe McDermott
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The film is messy, with an occasionally strained script and meandering sequences.
Posted Feb 28, 2020
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3.5/5
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Color Out of Space
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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Though some narrative and thematic threads fail to cohere, and Cage's performance and accent are mercurial mysteries, the visuals are beautiful and disturbing - and the wild, strange silliness never fails to entertain.
Posted Feb 28, 2020
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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We need a different word for masterpiece.
Posted Feb 28, 2020
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Queen & Slim
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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It's surprising that Lena Waithe's writing is the most disappointing aspect of the film. While Kaluuya and Turner-Smith are impressive, their characters - Queen especially - remain hugely underdeveloped.
Posted Feb 20, 2020
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5/5
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Parasite
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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From his opening shots, Bong Joon-Ho establishes the upstairs/downstairs dynamic of his razorsharp, bleakly funny, unmistakably furious skewering of capitalism and class divides.
Posted Feb 20, 2020
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Mr. Jones
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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While the film never matches the emotional power of its Ukraine sequences, the final act harnesses that impact for a rousing, conspiracy-fuelled drama.
Posted Feb 15, 2020
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Richard Jewell
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
|
Like the story at its core, Richard Jewell is alternately fascinating and frustrating - revealing the entrenched flaws and biases of those entrusted to tell it.
Posted Feb 03, 2020
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4/5
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The Personal History of David Copperfield
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
|
[T]he consistently entertaining, crowd-pleasing, madcap film finds the joy both in Dickens' words, and the wealth of British talent on display - in all its diversity.
Posted Jan 24, 2020
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3/5
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Bombshell
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
|
While the cinematography and costuming capture the absurd, Barbie-blonde sheen demanded at Fox, this horrifying, ugly and all too real story could have done with less of a filter.
Posted Jan 24, 2020
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1917
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
|
An emotional and artistic masterclass.
Posted Jan 23, 2020
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4/5
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Little Women
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
A radiant, huge-hearted film that embraces the messy beauty of growing up.
Posted Jan 13, 2020
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3/5
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Jojo Rabbit
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
|
Griffin Davis is a wonderfully expressive young actor, and the film's Wes Anderson-like absurdity and great, Bowie-filled soundtrack are fun.
Posted Jan 13, 2020
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4/5
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Knives Out
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
The wickedly talented ensemble cast are clearly having an absolute blast - and you will too.
Posted Jan 10, 2020
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The Irishman
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
Still, the film is beautifully edited, moving from a violent portrait of tough men into a character study of loneliness and old age - but never quite remorse.
Posted Nov 25, 2019
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The Report
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
|
In an era where important questions are being asked about transparency, accountability and how those who speak truth to power are treated, The Report is authentic, enraging and riveting thriller.
Posted Nov 25, 2019
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Luce
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
|
Watts and Spencer have some excellent scenes, crackling with energy and unarticulated tension, but the language can feel overburdened with significance.
Posted Nov 21, 2019
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The Aeronauts
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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A sequence where a frostbitten Wren must climb the outside of the balloon is truly thrilling, but the slowly paced, drawn-out flashbacks and increasingly stilted script prove deflating. Still, it's a lovely journey to watch on the big screen.
Posted Nov 20, 2019
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Marriage Story
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
Exquisite, scorching and utterly humane.
Posted Nov 19, 2019
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Sorry We Missed You
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
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The performances feel realistic and understated, and the weight of Loach's vision is always evident: the debasing cruelty of these economies, the devastating impact they have on good people.
Posted Nov 07, 2019
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Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
Overall, an underwhelming effort.
Posted Oct 22, 2019
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Joker
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
As a nightmarish portrait of urban isolation and a gritty comic book origin story, the movie is superbly acted and tensely paced. It also lacks nuance and plays into well-worn tropes. It's good. It's not great.
Posted Oct 22, 2019
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The Last Black Man in San Francisco
(2019)
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Roe McDermott
|
Though it may prove too slow and opaque for some, The Last Black Man In San Francisco is a heartbreaking elegy elevated by specificity, but universal in its emotion.
Posted Oct 22, 2019
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3.5/5
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Ad Astra
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
It's both impressive and deeply conventional.
Posted Oct 14, 2019
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Ready or Not
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
It's silly subversive fun - it just could have sought out more smarts.
Posted Oct 10, 2019
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3/5
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Judy
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
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Zellweger's performance is more layered than the film, which remains superficial and conventional.
Posted Oct 07, 2019
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2.5/5
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Don't Let Go
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
The tension-filled score, use of claustrophobic spaces and the central performances make this a serviceable late night TV offering. Just leave your brain four days behind you.
Posted Oct 07, 2019
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The Farewell
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
The Farewell can feel careful and overscripted, indicating Wang's personal instinct to protect the characters and not delve too deeply into harsh truths. But this decision feels as loving as the film does.
Posted Sep 26, 2019
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4/5
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The Mustang
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
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Matthias Schoenaerts is remarkable in soulful drama.
Posted Sep 12, 2019
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3.5/5
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Crawl
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
Yes, kids, strap in for Jaws-meets-Twister-meets-Snakes On A Plane. The chomping is coming from inside the house.
Posted Sep 09, 2019
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3/5
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The Sun Is Also a Star
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
Pretty, potential-filled, and ultimately a let-down.
Posted Aug 22, 2019
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4/5
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Gaza
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
[Keane and McConnell's] documentary is personal, compassionate and beautifully shot; their treatment of the people of Gaza empathetic and humane.
Posted Aug 22, 2019
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3.5/5
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Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
Brilliantly acted, indulgent, predictable, and somehow still utterly convinced that being anti-progress and anti-counter-cultures makes you a rebel, not the status quo.
Posted Aug 20, 2019
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Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
The definition of fun, silly escapism.
Posted Aug 13, 2019
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3/5
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Blinded by the Light
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
The effectiveness of these sequences varies, sometimes capturing the catharsis of a teenager finally feeling understood, sometimes feeling clumsy and mawkish... As for Viveik Kalra's career, this film is a spark that could start a fire.
Posted Aug 09, 2019
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3/5
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Photograph
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
[Ritesh Batra] imbues Photograph with an impressive stillness and realism.
Posted Aug 07, 2019
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4/5
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Animals
(2019)
|
Roe McDermott
|
Hyde's poetic vision embodies the beautifully raw and transient experience of her characters.
Posted Aug 07, 2019
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