Tag Archives: Steve Coogan

The Penguin Lessons review — The bird’s the best bit

March 27, 2025 flawintheiris

Directed by Peter Cattaneo | Written by Jeff Pope, from the book by Tom Michell | 110 min | ▲▲ | Crave This is one of those sweet stories aimed at an older audience where its curmudgeonly lead character has to face up to an unresolved trauma and troubling current affairs. It's all going to… Read More

No Bears, The Fabelmans, The Lost King reviews #TIFF22

September 18, 2022 flawintheiris

No Bears aka Khers Nist | Written and Directed by Jafar Panahi | 106 min On a recent episode of the podcast I cohost, LENS ME YOUR EARS, we watched and talked about a number of Iranian films, including a couple by activist filmmaker Jafar Panahi, The White Balloon and Taxi. I very much appreciate… Read More

The Trip To Greece review — Another welcome jaunt with old frenemies

May 23, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by Michael Winterbottom | 103 min | Crave "You were unpalatable as a young man," says Rob, after Steve claims he's getting better looking as he gets older. And it doesn't take more than a minute or two for these two improv-honed performers to get to the core of their connection: teasing each other… Read More

Greed review — Satire on big money got no soul

March 5, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by Michael Winterbottom | Written by Winterbottom and Sean Gray | 104 min | Crave Plus "I don't need drugs, I am drugs!" says the young Ricky "Greedy" McCreadie (Jamie Blackley, looking like Rufus Wainwright's angrier brother) who eventually becomes a billionaire, knight, fashion tycoon, and all around asshole — played by Steve Coogan.… Read More

Stan and Ollie review — Performances shine in sentimental biopic

February 4, 2019 flawintheiris

Directed by Jon S. Baird | Written by Jeff Pope | 98 min | Prime Video If you're a Gen Xer or older you should remember Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, the comedian duo who peaked in the late '30s, but their short films—heavy on the slapstick, with Laurel the meek, dimwitted stooge, and Hardy… Read More

The Trip To Spain review — More culinary travels with caustic pals

September 4, 2017 flawintheiris

Directed by Michael Winterbottom | 108 min Interesting that the writing credits for these films—a UK TV series reedited for cinema release elsewhere—are a little vague. I think it speaks to how improvised they all are, and to the gifts of the two leads—Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon—playing exaggerated, ingrate versions of themselves. All of… Read More

The Trip To Italy review

September 26, 2014 flawintheiris

Written and directed by Michael Winterbottom I was so thrilled to discover this sequel exists! The first movie, The Trip, from 2011, was a whole lot of fun—Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon improvising dialogue, riffing off each other, while driving around and eating at gourmet restos in northern England. The film functioned as a gorgeous travelogue,… Read More

Reviews: Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Kill Your Darlings, Short Term 12, Top Of The Lake, The Look of Love, I Give It A Year, The Iceman

April 5, 2014 flawintheiris

I'm still writing semi-regular reviews of features and series for Halifax Alternative Weekly The Coast. Check out my thoughts on some recent gems (and semi-precious stones): Ain't Them Bodies Saints Imagine if Kit and Holly in Terrence Malick’s Badlands had been caught early in their spree and Kit was incarcerated. That’s more or less the starting point… Read More

Philomena review

November 30, 2013 flawintheiris

Directed by Stephen FrearsWritten by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, based on a book by Martin SixsmithWhen Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) was a teenager (Sophie Kennedy Clark) in Ireland, she got pregnant. For her sins, the nuns at the Roscrea convent made her work in the laundries, seven days a week for four years, and… Read More

Top 10 Movies of 2008

August 30, 2012 flawintheiris

Continuing my look back to the years before I became the Mad Blogger What Blogs at Midnight, here's my thoughts on the best movies of 2008. CAPS where my 2012 self felt the need to editorialize... there are about five in my Honourable Mentions list that deserved top-ten status. Oh well. I had no trouble… Read More