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Surveillance
Film School
Brilliant Career
Thurston Moore-worshipping debut that doesn't signal the band's later clout.
9th Jun 2011
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Solitary Man
Tired retread of several previous Michael Douglas films. Made seemingly poignant by his advancing age.
8th Jun 2011
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Mars Classroom
The New Theory of Everything
The worst crime Bob Pollard can commit is to be forgettable.
6th Jun 2011
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Arctic Monkeys
Suck It And See
Disappointing plod, swapping edgy rock for 60's croon. Track 12 stands out.
3rd Jun 2011
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Yuck
Yuck
Throwback shoe-gazing indie nostalgia trip. Though it's more Family Cat than Galaxie 500.
3rd Jun 2011
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Bad Teacher
Some laughs, but Bad Santa + School of Rock + Cameron Diaz does not equal the sum of it's parts.
3rd Jun 2011
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My Morning Jacket
Circuital
A lot more even than Evil Urges, but the title track is the only real stand-out here.
31st May 2011
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The Way Back
The stellar director and all-star cast can't save this dull wartime road movie, lacking in jeopardy.
15th May 2011
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Panda Bear
Tomboy
I'm convinced the world doesn't need Panda Bear AND Animal Collective. One's gonna have to go.
10th May 2011
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The Invention of Lying
Dry, convoluted comedy from Ricky Gervais - stretching out a drunken pub idea to 96 mins.
8th May 2011
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The Lookout
Convoluted, post-Memento heist movie with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Freeze-frame ending.
1st May 2011
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The Scouting Book For Boys
Beautifully shot but disappointingly underdeveloped, over-serious UK indie flick.
29th Apr 2011
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As Tears Go By
Early WKW movie with only Maggie Cheung and a cantopop-Berlin-cover montage hinting at later skills.
25th Apr 2011
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Extract
Slight, amiable, if slightly miscast comedy from the guy that made Beavis and Butthead. With Jason Bateman.
15th Apr 2011
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Jackass 3D
More borderline homo-erotica from Knoxville & crew. Viewer discretion is advised.
13th Apr 2011
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The Fighter
Predictable boxing flick with none of the tension, depth or subtlety of Raging Bull or $1M Baby.
8th Apr 2011
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Righteous Kill
De Niro/Pacino as NYC cop partners chasing serial killer/bad poet. Routine.
21st Mar 2011
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The Baader Meinhof Complex
Endless, shapeless biopic of the 70's West German terrorist group. Lacking in suspense.
9th Mar 2011
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Something Wild
Always forget I've seen this one. A strange 80's brand of dark, wild comedy. See also 'After Hours'.
8th Mar 2011
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The Greatest
Slightly convoluted, grief-stricken ensemble drama with Bronson Brosnan, Johnson, Mulligan and Sarandon.
6th Mar 2011
Read more 2.5 star reviewsOff Beat
Easily the best Swiss-German-Gay-Hip Hop movie I've ever seen.
18th Feb 2011
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The Fountain
Devastatingly serious twoddle from Darren Aronofsky. Now I remember why he dropped off my radar.
18th Feb 2011
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Daybreakers
Disappointing, high-concept, vampire/sci-fi flick. Ethan Hawke should know better.
13th Feb 2011
Read more 2.5 star reviewsHarry Brown
Hoodie-centric retread of Death Wish. Michael Caine should know better by now.
2nd Feb 2011
Read more 2.5 star reviewsGangster No1
Showoff, cliched, superficial UK gangster flick. Like Goodfellas, but everyone is played by Joe Pesci.
1st Feb 2011
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After Dark, My Sweet
Misfiriing 90's noir, with Jason Patric as a hobo boxer, getting into trouble in a small town.
Halliwell says: Wildly melodramatic thriller with dull performances.
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27th Jan 2011
Read more 2.5 star reviewsThe Perfect Storm
About as exciting as an action/adventure about the weather can be.
11th Jan 2011
Read more 2.5 star reviewsStaten Island
Clunky compilation of three interlinked short stories.
1st Jan 2011
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Somewhere
Pretentious, drawn-out fluff from Sofia Coppola. A promising idea, stretched to Jarmuschian proportions.
29th Dec 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsDorian Gray
Bodice-ripping, period action movie, predictable in style and execution.
28th Dec 2010
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Four Christmases
Predictable, seasonal rom-com with Vince Vaughn. I slept through Christmases 2&3.
4th Dec 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsCellular
Low signal thriller-by-numbers with Captain America and Jason Statham.
25th Nov 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsIrma Vep
Intriguing but underdeveloped 90's arthouse, with Maggie Cheung bringing method to her cat burglar role.
12th Nov 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsAway We Go
Slight and under-developed road trip dramedy from Sam Mendes.
6th Nov 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsThe Social Network
(dir. David Fincher)
Relativity Media
You may wonder where the drama is in a story following the rise of Facebook - and it's a legitimate question. Maestro director David Fincher put this film into quick production and with a script from The West Wing's Aaron Sorkin there was plenty of promise. The script is masterfully done and with some great performances from Rodger Dodger's Jesse Eisenberg and soon-to-be Peter Parker Andrew Garfield there's much to admire.
Like most biopics however, there's both an inevitability and a lack of tension to the narrative. At least with Titanic the inevitable conclusion involved the world's biggest ship hitting an iceberg and sinking. Unfortunately there's no iceberg here. Yawn.
18th Oct 2010 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 2.5 star reviewsThe Social Network
Solidly made movie with a top notch cast + crew .....but ultimately a dull biopic.
17th Oct 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsThe Firm
Nick Love's retrofied remake of Alan Clarke's football hooligan classic.
10th Oct 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsThe Taking of Pelham 123
Over-cranked but dull remake of the Robert Shaw classic.
22nd Sep 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsOnce Upon A Time In The West Midlands
Dissapointing sub-Mike Leigh antics from Shane Meadows.
12th Sep 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsJudge Dredd
Underrated, but far from classic comic book sci-fi from Danny Cannon.
12th Sep 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsThe Line
La Linea
Pretentious, under-developed clone of Soderberg's Traffic, with none of the class.
30th Aug 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsSpace Cowboys
Strangely lethargic OAP astronaut adventure from Clint Eastwood.
27th Aug 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsGamer
OTT Running Man/Truman Show/Matrix mash up from the Crank guys.
14th Aug 2010
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The Long Goodbye
Rambling, shambolic Philip Marlowe case from Robert Altman, with shoddy production quality.
Halliwell says: Ugly, boring travesty of a well-respected novel, the apparent intention being to reverse the author's attitudes completely and to substitute dullness and incomprehensibility.
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4th Aug 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsIn The Electric Mist
Overcomplicated murder mystery with Tommy Lee Jones, made worse by shoddy editing.
17th Jul 2010
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Land of the Lost
Unadventurous, misdirected action comedy vehicle with Will Ferrell reviving the throwback TV show.
4th Jul 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsSunshine Cleaning
Two sisters set up a crime scene cleaning business. Nice premise.... very, very slowly executed.
4th Jul 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsStar Trek
Disappointing reboot as the confusing plot points eat themselves again. Fake lensflare in every shot too.
4th Jul 2010
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