New Movies

By Linda Marric There is something rather familiar about the new Jamie Foxx vehicle Sleepless, and it isn’t just because the film has been adapted from a far superior French movie. What is familiar about it is its attempt at emulating the highly successful Fast and Furious franchise; it’s big, it’s noisy and has more guns and cars than you can shake a stick at. Yes, it is a predictable, and yes it is as hollow and as meat-headed a...

By James McAllister Richard Thorncroft (Julian Barratt) is Mindhorn… or rather he was Mindhorn, back in the 80s. Armed with a robotic eye that allowed him to “literally see truth”, Detective Bruce P. Mindhorn was the Isle of Man’s answer to Bergerac; a treasured TV sleuth with dapper looks and a seductive charm. The ladies loved him, his co-stars envied him, and audiences adored him. Fast-forward 25 years, however, and Thorncroft’s career is in a critical condition. Overcome by his...

Wyndham Hacket Pain @WyndhamHP In many ways Jane Jacobs is rather an unassuming figure. For much of her life she was dismissed as merely a house wife and had to fight to be heard at time when the gender divide was much greater than it is now. Yet despite never holding an academic position her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities still remains one of the most influential books ever written about urban areas. Apart from being...

By Linda Marric Adapted from Maylis de Kerangal’s fantastic novel of the same name, Heal The Living is the third feature from critically acclaimed French director Katell Quillévéré (Suzanne, Love Like Poison). This beautifully atmospheric and truly devastating piece of filmmaking, is one of the most emotionally charged films of the year. First shown as part of the programme at the London Film Festival in 2016, the film is finally getting a nationwide release courtesy of Curzon Artificial Eye, which...

By Linda Marric Fans of the Shakespeare might be a little surprised to find out that William Oldroyd’s brilliant debut feature Lady Macbeth isn’t exactly an adaptation of one of the Bard’s most loved tragedies. Set in rural England, this Victorian chamber piece is every bit as dark and twisted as any shakespearian tragedy worth its salt. Not only does Oldroyd manage to immerse his audience in this suffocatingly patriarchal world, but he also offers a very modern stance on...

By Linda Marric There are films which will make you fall in love with them almost instantly, they may not look as polished or roll as smoothly as you might have hoped, but you somehow develop a deep love and admiration for what the director and his cast have tried to achieve. Rules Don’t Apply can firmly be placed in that category; from the opening tittles you are completely gripped by what is to come, and you can’t even bring...

Wyndham Hacket Pain @WyndhamHP The monochrome style and real life boxing story may draw comparisons between The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki and Raging Bull, but there is little else in common with the Finnish film being much gentler, smaller, and understated than Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece. Told simply, this film follows the preparations of Finnish featherweight boxer Olli Mäki (Jarkko Lahti) in the lead up to his world championship fight against American Davey Moore (John Bosco Jr.)....

By Linda Marric When it comes to films about people doing heroic deeds during WWII, it becomes impossible to review the film without taking into account the real people behind these truly harrowing stories. Based on a non-fiction book by Diane Ackerman, The Zookeeper’s Wife tells the story of a couple who bravely put their own lives in harms way to save over 300 Polish Jews from certain death by hiding them in their zoo. Directed by Niki Caro, the...

By Linda Marric The very first time I came across The Belko Experiment was a few weeks ago through a controversial review in which an American critic explains why he felt the need to walk out of the screening of the film out of sheer despair and anger at the violence being shown on screen. As I am not here to judge another reviewer’s actions, I will instead attempt to justify why I didn’t completely hate the film, and why...