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Surveillance

On the Rocks

Unsurprisingly slight, but the one thread of plot is held together by an enjoyable Bill Murray.


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21st Nov 2020

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Richard Jewell

Incredibly straightforward Clint drama, anchored by some great central performances.


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10th Nov 2020

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Ad Astra

Incredibly stylish and wannabe cerebral sci-fi, that’s ultimately a little thin.


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19th Jul 2020

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First Man

Underwhelming space drama that’s a bit too intimate and not very epic.


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5th Jul 2020

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Shazam

Kid-friendly(ish), super fun superhero movie.


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23rd Mar 2020

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Alladin

Surprisingly enjoyable, Guy Ritchie-fied Disney remake.


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10th Mar 2020

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Mid90s

Strong slice of 90s skate nostalgia. Slow and subtle.


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8th Feb 2020

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Mystify

Michael Hutchence

Thoughtfully assembled montage doc.


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30th Dec 2019

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The King

Luscious period drama. Beautifully put together - like Wolf Hall+.


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3rd Nov 2019

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Manchester by the Sea

Painful, occasionally uplifting viewing with a grief stricken central performance.


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28th Sep 2019

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Spider-Man

Into the Spider-Verse

Stylish, trippy concept animated superhero flick with some great moments.


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21st Sep 2019

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Breath

Decent Aussie surf drama, that nostalgically investigates the soul of surfing before losing its way a little.


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14th Aug 2019

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A Star is Born

Somewhat unremarkable, but enjoyable music drama. Bit long.


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13th Jul 2019

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Mary Poppins Returns

Stylish sequel, hampered in places by some authentic 1960s pacing.


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30th Jun 2019

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Dumbo

Forgettable re-imagining of a not totally unforgettable Disney classic.


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27th Apr 2019

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Leave No Trace

Low key indie spin on Rambo, as a father and daughter try and live off grid.


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28th Mar 2019

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Tully

Decent modern spin on Mary Poppins. Bit uneven, but a nice soundtrack helps things along.


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20th Jan 2019

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Ready Player One

Pop-culture bouillabaisse, hampered by numerous terrible accents.


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24th Dec 2018

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Darkest Hour

Surprisingly underwhelming biopic that doesn’t find its feet until 20m from the end.


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24th Nov 2018

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Den of Thieves

Utterly derivative / thoroughly enjoyable ‘Heat’ rip off.


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21st Nov 2018

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You Were Never Really Here

Brutal revenge thriller. Stylish and violent, with plenty of explanation left to the imagination.


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4th Nov 2018

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Paddington 2

Well written, well paced sequel. Surprisingly competent and heartwarming.


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4th Aug 2018

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Thor

Ragnarok

Enjoyable change of pace for the super hero genre. Comedy wins.


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21st Jul 2018

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The Florida Project

Stylish, incredibly depressing portrait of life on the margins.


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12th May 2018

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Brawl in Cell Block 99

Minimally written and confidently directed, with a brutally violent third act. Starring thin Vince Vaughn.


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4th May 2018

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Get Out

Intense, eerie thriller that’s surprisingly straightforward and a little old-fashioned.


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30th Jan 2018

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The Light Between Oceans

Long, but moving and stylishly directed period drama. Fantastic cinematography.


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15th Jan 2018

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Logan

Grown-up superhero flick. Handled far better than most, but ridiculously violent.


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6th Jan 2018

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Guardians of the Galaxy

Vol 2

Stylish, fast-paced, amusing antidote to the endless stream of generic superhero movies.


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27th Dec 2017

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La La Land

Disappointingly slight award winner, that doesn’t find its stride until 10 minutes from the end.


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27th Dec 2017

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20th Century Women

Another thoughtful biographical effort from Mike Mills. Stylish but a little long and sprawling.


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25th Nov 2017

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Lion

Stylish, touching movie. Nicely acted if a little slow.


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12th Nov 2017

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Moonlight

Intense, mournful coming-of-age drama. Very stylish and operatic. Terrence Mallick via John Singleton.


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21st Oct 2017

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T2 Trainspotting

Belated sequel that remixes the original with some success, but the nostalgia runs a little thin.


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15th Oct 2017

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Sully

Solid, uplifting biopic. Well structured with moments of real tension despite the inevitable ending. And 91m.


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11th Oct 2017

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Bladerunner 2049

Good visuals, nice music, flabby storytelling and a confusing plot. A worthy sequel.


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6th Oct 2017

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American Honey

Andrea Arnold transplants her class observations to the US. Unforgivably long, if beautifully shot.


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17th Sep 2017

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Arrival

Stylish modern sci-fi with a clever structure, but it's still a film about subtitled aliens.


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24th Aug 2017

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Threads

Brutal 80s TV movie, imagining nuclear winter. Age has blended the stock footage to horrifying perfection.


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3rd Jul 2017

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The Intern

Surprisingly charming, sentimental, old style movie with no need for an antagonist. Plus, solid DeNiro.


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1st Jul 2017

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Sing

Totally predictable, thoroughly inspiring animated sing-a-long for the X-Factor generation.


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24th Jun 2017

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One More Time With Feeling

Poingiant doc of the latest Bad Seeds album. Still falls into the usual making-of box.


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26th Apr 2017

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Garden State

Dated indie classic that uses music to create pseudo-sentimental highs of little real substance.


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18th Mar 2017

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Supersonic

Engaging, nostalgic doc which meanders through the rise and rise of 1995’s greatest band ever.


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14th Mar 2017

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Still Life

Thoughtful character study, with Eddie Marsan standing up for those who slip through the cracks.


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26th Feb 2017

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Hunt For The Wilderpeople

Accomplished, charming NZ indie comedy that wears its influences well.


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1st Feb 2017

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Raiders

The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made

Inspiring doc about the kids remaking Raiders over 7 summers.


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24th Jan 2017

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The Beatles

Eight Days a Week

Inspiring reminder of the sheer volume of trail blazing laid down by The Beatles.


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22nd Jan 2017

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The Goonies

Seminal kids movie that I underrated in '85. Shot with an easy pace, until the free-swim at the end.

Halliwell says: The bottomless pit of the Spielberg genre, a silly tale which takes forever to get going and is acted by children who have not studied elocution. The trick effects when they come are OK, but it's a long annoying haul to that point.


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22nd Jan 2017

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The Jungle Book

Seamless CGI remake, lacking in humour and executed with the seriousness of LOTR or Apocalypse Now.


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30th Dec 2016

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