London Film Festival 2019: Rare Beasts

Rating: ★★ Directorial debuts are tough, and it gives people a chance to establish their personal style. Sadly for me, Billie Piper’s first film had a style that didn’t sit well with me at all. She was heavily involved in the project; directing, writing and starring in it, but her unique first film is perhaps a bit too quirky. Rare Beasts follows Mandy, a career-driven … Continue reading London Film Festival 2019: Rare Beasts

London Film Festival 2019: Lynn + Lucy

Rating: ★★★★ The titular characters in Lynn + Lucy are lifelong best friends, and even live opposite each other on the same street. But the film explores tragic circumstances where a bond this strong can swiftly be broken. Lynn (Roxanne Scrimshaw) is a married stay-at-home mum turned hairdressing assistant, who is delighted when her best friend Lucy (Nichola Burley) gives birth to her first child. … Continue reading London Film Festival 2019: Lynn + Lucy

London Film Festival 2019: Jojo Rabbit

Rating: ★★★★★ The premise of Jojo Rabbit is a bold one, and something that could have very easily been executed terribly on-screen. Whilst you might feel some apprehension about the concept of a 10-year-old boy who has Hitler as an imaginary friend, Taika Waititi has turned it into something brilliant and poignant. As mentioned above, the film follows Johannes ‘Jojo’ Betzler, who lives in Nazi … Continue reading London Film Festival 2019: Jojo Rabbit

Great lead, average film: My thoughts on “Brightburn”

Rating: ★★★ It was difficult to avoid trailers for James Gunn’s Brightburn, and as a result it was difficult to avoid my excitement too. I had very much been looking forward to this one, as I’m always interested in characters that use their powers for evil instead of good. In a similar vein to Josh Trank’s Chronicle, the film follows a teenager who starts to … Continue reading Great lead, average film: My thoughts on “Brightburn”

“Rocketman”: A dazzling, brutally honest biopic

Rating: ★★★★ 1/2 Biopics are always challenging. Trying to condense the life of a public figure into a couple of hours is never easy, which is why it can go wrong. It must be even more intimidating when your subject is still alive, and in this case, Elton John is very much alive and kicking at the age of 72. Rocketman was a project that was … Continue reading “Rocketman”: A dazzling, brutally honest biopic

Dark comedy at its finest: My thoughts on “Dead In A Week (or your money back)”

This review discusses dark topics such as death and suicide. Reader discretion advised.   Rating: ★★★★ Getting comedy right is difficult enough, let alone trying to do it with sensitive topics. But Dead In A Week (or your money back) hits the nail on the head. After several failed suicide attempts, William (Aneurin Barnard) signs a contract with veteran assassin Leslie (Tom Wilkinson), who promises he’ll … Continue reading Dark comedy at its finest: My thoughts on “Dead In A Week (or your money back)”