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Surveillance
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Classy and stylishly done, but ultimately a bit slow and boring.
6th Mar 2010
Read more 3.5 star reviewsSearch
Terminator 2
Dated, but still bombastic sequel, with that awesome Arnie-isn't-the-bad guy twist to kick things off.
28th Feb 2010
Read more 4 star reviewsSeven Pounds
Touching, if slightly convoluted drama with Will Smith.
28th Feb 2010
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Duplicity
Disappointing, tricksy corporate espionage rom-com from Tony Gilroy. More Oceans 11 that Michael Clayton.
23rd Feb 2010
Read more 3 star reviewsConfessions of a Shopaholic
Unadventurous rom-com, with no surprises.
22nd Feb 2010
Read more 1.5 star reviewsPost Grad
I was on a plane and it was on. Empty first-job rom-com with odd casting including Burton's Batman.
18th Feb 2010
Read more 1.5 star reviews
Sommersault
Artfully shot, if a little pretentious. Great performances from Abbie Cornish and Sam Worthington.
18th Feb 2010
Read more 3.5 star reviewsShorts
Likeable kid-flick from Rodriguez. Possibly his most rounded movie so far. Duckie and James Spader co-star.
18th Feb 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviews
Funny People
Great movie from Judd Apatow. Great to see Adam Sandler getting serious and Eric Bana getting less so.
18th Feb 2010
Read more 4 star reviewsThe Informant!
Great turn from Matt Damon in Soderberg's Coen Brothers-style farce.
18th Feb 2010
Read more 3 star reviewsBeautiful Losers
Inspiring film documenting the skate/art scene centered around Alleged Gallery in the 90s.
12th Feb 2010
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To Live and Die in LA
Hard for this cliched 80s thriller to stay dark, when it's lit by neon suits. Inc Wang Chung.
Halliwell says: High-gloss, foul-mouthed, hysterical crime melo, a kind of west coast French Connection.
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8th Feb 2010
Read more 2 star reviewsThe September Issue
Intersting by default, but hardly a masterpiece.
8th Feb 2010
Read more 3 star reviewsAvatar
Ground breaking, but hardly surprising sci-fi from the broad-stroked brush of James Cameron.
1st Feb 2010
Read more 3 star reviews
Cape Fear
Scorcese's 90s tour de force. Menacing and mean, but still a bit stupid in the third act.
Halliwell says: A remake superior to the original, a grimly effective thriller, filled with a sense of brooding menace.***
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31st Jan 2010
Read more 4 star reviews
The Day The Earth Stood Still
Uninspired sci-fi with Klaatu Reeves.
17th Jan 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviewsMillion Dollar Baby
Superior, heart-breaking drama from Clint.
10th Jan 2010
Read more 4.5 star reviewsElephant
Alan Clarke's inspirational short, documenting the brutal reality of planned violence.
9th Jan 2010
Read more 4 star reviewsMeet The Parents
Over-rated comedy with a semi-notable performance from DeNiro.
9th Jan 2010
Read more 2.5 star reviews
Back To The Future II
Underrated, but still awesome - with one of the best cliffhangers ever.
Halliwell says: Extraordinarily raucous, confusingly plotted, poorly performed (rarely have actors aged so unconvincingly) sequel that amounts to little more than a trailer for the third part of the series.
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3rd Jan 2010
Read more 5 star reviewsSe7en
Now classic 90's thriller from David Fincher and Darius Khondji.
2nd Jan 2010
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Coming Home
Superior pre-Oliver Stone Vietnam movie.
Halliwell says: Self-pitying romantic wallow, which must mean more to American audiences than to others. Goodish acting.*
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1st Jan 2010
Read more 3.5 star reviewsSurveillance
Nasty, electrifying thriller from David Lynch Jnr.
1st Jan 2010
Read more 3.5 star reviewsMy Best Friends Girl
Dispicable, ugly romcom - desperatly in need of help from McRomcomedy..
1st Jan 2010
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The Birds
Time has made it a classic, but this one's from the skimpy end of the Hitchcock spectrum.
Halliwell says: A curiously absorbing work which begins as light comedy and ends as apocalyptic allegory, this piece of Hitchcockery has no visible point except to tease the audience and provide plenty of opportunity for shock, offbeat humour and special effects (which despite the drumbeating are not quite as good as might be expected). The actors are pawns in the master's hand.***
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31st Dec 2009
Read more 3 star reviewsStardust
Some entertaining originality in this fantasy, while watching for some DeNiro performance cross-referencing.
31st Dec 2009
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Ghostbusters
Dated effects and a flimsy plot held together beautifully by the Bill Murray superglue.
Halliwell says: Crude farce with expensive special effects. It took more money - millions more - than Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which must say something about the age we live in.*
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27th Dec 2009
Read more 4 star reviewsBilly Elliot
Ballet + miners + living the dream still a great mix.
25th Dec 2009
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Often underrated, it's still a total classic. Spielberg + Ford at their best.
Halliwell says: Slow-starting adventure romp with much ingenuity and too much brutality and horror. In the US it caused the creation of a new censor certificate: PG(13).*
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23rd Dec 2009
Read more 5 star reviewsThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Some big names on the crew for this astonishing story.
20th Dec 2009
Read more 3 star reviewsFrost/Nixon
Unique and engaging docudrama from Ritchie Cunningham.
19th Dec 2009
Read more 3 star reviewsDefiance
The dodgy accents don't help in this WW2 spin on Robin Hood.
13th Dec 2009
Read more 2.5 star reviews
What Just Happened?
Artfully directed Hollywood satire, marking DeNiro's best movie in years. Beautiful.
8th Dec 2009
Read more 4 star reviewsHappy Go Lucky
Dull, possibly condescending drama saved only by the excellent Eddie Marsden.
8th Dec 2009
Read more 2 star reviewsFred Claus
Took a nap in the middle, but there's fun to be had in this Christmas story.
6th Dec 2009
Read more 2.5 star reviewsYou Don't Mess With The Zohan
Mass stupidity with the occasional chuckle.
5th Dec 2009
Read more 1.5 star reviews3.10 To Yuma
Top class western with Crowe and Bale on fine form.
30th Nov 2009
Read more 4.5 star reviewsThe House Bunny
Dumb-but-fun Playboy-based re-working of Old School. No streaking in the quad though.
30th Nov 2009
Read more 2.5 star reviewsChangeling
Engrossing, but ultimately shapeless missing persons drama from Clint Eastwood.
29th Nov 2009
Read more 3 star reviewsBlindness
Shockingly under-developed sci-fi from the City of God team. Mark Ruffalo can't even save this.
28th Nov 2009
Read more 2.5 star reviewsZack And Miri Make A Porno
Better-than-average effort from the over-rated Kevin Smith.
21st Nov 2009
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Redbelt
Superior drama from David Mamet. Chiwetel Ejiofor is outstanding. Tim Allen gets serious.
20th Nov 2009
Read more 4.5 star reviewsW
Oliver Stone's slick but empty biopic of Dubya, with a high-profile cast of impressionists.
15th Nov 2009
Read more 2.5 star reviews