The Man From UNCLE review — 1960s Stylegasm

Directed by Guy Ritchie, Written by Ritchie and Lionel Wigram, from a story by Ritchie, Wigram, Jeff Kleeman, and David C. Wilson. Based on the 1960s TV series created by Sam Rolfe In the lowest-common denominator landscape of the summer blockbuster season, with every feature pre-masticated and audience-tested for the broadest possible appeal, it's easy…Read More

In Cinemas: August 7, 2015 — Irrational Man, The Gift, Ricki And The Flash, The Fantastic Four, Shaun The Sheep Movie, and an AFF heads up

Irrational Man is Woody Allen's 35th-and-a-third feature in 34 years. This one's mostly a drama, about a philosophy professor (Joaquin Phoenix) who finds a reason to live by planning a murder. It's a mid-range Woody. For my review go here. Australian actor Joel Edgerton has put together a stellar career in Hollywood. He now can…Read More

Irrational Man review — A swig of meaning and murder

Written and directed by Woody Allen "A tormented philosophy professor finds a will to live when he commits an existential act." So claims the euphemistic IMDB plot descript-bot. Others have aligned Irrational Man with one of Allen's best films, Crimes and Misdemeanors. I wouldn't go anywhere near that comparison, even if they share the "existential act", murder. Where Woody's…Read More

The Gift review — Throwback with a sting

Written and directed by Joel Edgerton One might say the domestic thriller has gone out of fashion since its 1990s heyday, but that's not entirely true. There was the Idris Elba/Taraji P. Henson picture No Good Deed, and the Jennifer Lopez drama The Boy Next Door. Halle Berry has made a couple, too. They're often morality…Read More