Chimpomatic

Bridge of Spies

Solid Cold War drama. Unfortunately lacking the impact of both Spielberg and Hanks' best.

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18th Dec 2016

The Magnificent Seven

A classic story and allstar cast, but John Sturges' vintage western seems slow and dated now.

Halliwell says: Popular western based on the Japanese Seven Samurai; good action scenes, but the rest is verbose and often pretentious.**

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2nd Nov 2016

The Big Short

Smart-ass financial drama. OTT Bale, reasonable turn from Pitt, Reynolds steals the show.

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2nd Oct 2016

The Day After

Terrifying post-nuclear drama. Dated to the mood of its era, but still effectively realistic.

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30th Sep 2016

Magnum Force

It's only episode 2, but it's Dirty-Harry-by-numbers. Luckily those numbers still add up to something.

Halliwell says: Toned-down sequel to Dirty Harry; the violence is still there but the hero no longer commits it.

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18th Sep 2016

Pete's Dragon

Superior kids movie. ET meets King Kong. Bit slow, but ten times deeper than the wafer thin original.

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1st Sep 2016

Dope

Super sharp teen movie, bursting with style and originality and loaded with an impeccable soundtrack.

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17th Aug 2016

Contact

Ambitious 90s sci-fi. Not entirely successful, but it has a seriousness and scale that's rarely seen today.

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2nd Aug 2016

101 Dalmatians

Dated effort from 60s Disney, sacrificing production value for cheap gags.

Halliwell says: Disney's last really splendid feature cartoon, with the old flexible style cleverly modernized and plenty of invention and detail in the story line. The London backgrounds are especially nicely judged.**

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8th May 2016

The Pledge

Remarkably restrained turn from Jack Nicholson in a decent but dated 00s thriller. Sean Penn directs.

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6th Apr 2016

Cobain Montage of Heck

Unconventional doc that manages to put an interesting spin on an otherwise downbeat subject.

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16th Jan 2016

Sicario

Immensely stylish, accomplished DEA procedural, full of great performances. Like Traffic on drugs.

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31st Dec 2015

The Incredibles

Decent Pixar effort that's lost a bit of its shine with age.

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21st Dec 2015

It Follows

Intense, stylish, post-modern horror. Beautifully directed. Drive meets Halloween.

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3rd Nov 2015

What We Do In The Shadows

Chuckle-a-minute vampire documentary. Perfectly pitched and performed.

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15th Oct 2015

St Vincent

Charming @BiIIMurray vehicle. If you've read the logline you've pretty much seen the movie.

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4th Oct 2015

Hyena

Despite the clichéd plot, a top cast and stylish direction elevate this violent UK cop pic out the doldrums.

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28th Aug 2015

Return of the Jedi

Lazy re-hash, adequately directed but saved by outstanding art direction and big set pieces.

Halliwell says: More expensive fantasy for the world's children of all ages, especially the undemanding ones.*

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11th Aug 2015

The Skeleton Twins

Up-market indie with a decent cast putting in solid performances.

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1st Aug 2015

'71

A decent premise and classy art direction aren't quite enough to elevate this Troubles pic into greatness.

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23rd Jul 2015

The Lion King

1990s re-imagining of Bambi. Equally scary for kids in places, but lacking a certain charm.

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16th Jul 2015

The Imitation Game

Solid, safe wartime biopic from the British-Oscar-hopeful template.

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11th Jul 2015

Clear and Present Danger

Despite the Twitter-unfriendly title, this old fashioned 90s thriller holds up well.

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18th Jun 2015

Downfall

Powerful and impressive, but the chamber-piece presentation creates an Abigail’s-Party-for-Nazis vibe.

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17th Jun 2015

Thunderheart

Solid, old fashioned studio thriller with enough of an angle to keep it fresh.

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21st May 2015

The One I Love

Intriguing, thought-provoking indie dramedy. Would have benefitted from a bit more structure.

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17th May 2015

While We're Young

Close-to-the-bone indie pic that avoids the obvious. Noah Baumbach directs. Ad-Rock co-stars

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9th Apr 2015

Big Hero 6

Mostly derivative Disney pic with anime influences and a few magical moments.

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29th Mar 2015

Post Tenebras Lux

Abstract Mexican art house pic. Intense and engaging, if not entirely successful.

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15th Mar 2015

Metro Manila

Depressing slice of life on the breadline in Manila. Slow to start but stylish and well crafted.

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15th Mar 2015

Shaun the Sheep the Movie

Typically witty masterclass in stop motion from @aardman. Dialogue free!

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8th Mar 2015

Birdman

Bravura Oscar winner. Stunningly shot, but you can guess the shortcomings of this 'single take' showpiece.

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23rd Feb 2015

Dead Man

Stark, not entirely successful western. A relic from days gone by, when Johnny Depp was in arthouse films.

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8th Jan 2015

Gone Girl

While it's less gripping once you know the twists, Fincher's cold thriller evolves into a dark comedy.

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1st Jan 2015

Maps To The STARS

Twisted, Lynchian melodrama ...from Cronenberg. Dark and original, though possibly not enjoyable.

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1st Jan 2015

Starred Up

Brutal, gruelling prison drama - anchored by a raft of solid performances.

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31st Dec 2014

Le Week-end

Talky, thought provoking middle aged comedy about dreams v life. Solid script from Hanif Kureishi.

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24th Dec 2014

For Lovers Only

Inspiring arthouse pic from the Polish Brothers. Remarkably offhand et casual. A bit pretentious.

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20th Nov 2014

Filmage: The Story of Descendents / All

Nostalgic doc that doesn't avoid the realities of being pop punk pioneers. @Descendents.

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15th Nov 2014

Gone Girl

David Fincher pushes Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike into dark corners of marriage in a long, twisty thriller.

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26th Sep 2014

X~Men

Days of Future Past

Text book comic book time hopping antics. Clever twists and a heathy franchise future.

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15th Sep 2014

Edge of Tomorrow

Smart sci-fi mashing Private Ryan with Groundhog Day. 3rd act wobbles before a strong finish.

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13th Sep 2014

Ali

Michael Mann's kaleidoscopic biopic is a technical masterpiece, but it plays out like a 3 hour montage.

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4th Sep 2014

Enough Said

Smartly-scripted romcom that flips a lot of tropes for analysis through the middle-aged divorcee lens.

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24th Aug 2014

Gravity

Without the 3D or IMAX, this visually impressive space flick stretches a little too thin.

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23rd Aug 2014

Lone Star

Thoughtful, multi layered modern cowboy pic, examining division through the generations of a Texan town.

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18th Aug 2014

Blue Jasmine

Literally the best Woody Allen film in 20 years. Solid script and several great performances.

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27th Jul 2014

Mud

Classy, slow burning character drama from Jeff Nichols, full of decent performances.

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20th Jul 2014

Promised Land

Smart, thought provoking drama from a Matt Damon/John Krasinski script. Well handled by Gus Van Sant.

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19th Jul 2014

Elysium

Well-executed dystopian sci-fi that manages to add up to less than the sum of its parts.

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9th Jun 2014