Film

by Miranda Schiller @mirandadadada James King (Will Ferrell), millionaire hedge fund manager, is convicted for fraud and embezzlement. He is quite obviously innocent and merely used as a tool in the game by his boss and “ex-future father-in-law” – his hot fiancée leaves him soon after she hears the verdict: Ten years in a maximum security prison. This being the sort of 'bloke' comedy it is, his greatest fear facing ten years of incarceration is to be raped by other...

By Matt Keay @mattadamkeay  The media circus surrounding Amanda Knox’s circumventing perambulation of the justice system was very difficult to ignore. Back in 2009, and beyond, the details of the case were pored over in the tabloid press. It was inevitable that a cinematic adaptation would eventually transpire. The Face of an Angel is that film, albeit with names changed and details fudged. Michael Winterbottom, (24 Hour Party People, The Trip), directs what he refers to as a ‘tribute to...

By Corrina Antrobus, film reviewer @corrinacorrina Paul King’s theatrical adaptation of Michael Bond’s 1985 Paddington is not just a teddy bear’s picnic, it’s a big warm bear hug to London as a melting-pot. However you can banish any fears of saccharine soaked naffness. It obviates tokenism with its insistence on painting our capital with kaleidoscope colours and fond cultural salutes; Mum wears African prints, daughter is bilingual and the nautical nods from dad and Mrs Bird can’t be a coincidence....

By Stephen Mayne  @finalreel Revenge, traditionally a dish best served cold, proves anything but in Damián Szifrón’s Oscar nominated Argentinian anthology. Featuring six instalments of absurd vengeance, Wild Tales is jammed full of over the top characters, rash actions, malicious intent and rage. So much rage. Evidently, life in present day Argentina has left everyone on the verge of explosion as otherwise normal people are pushed too far. This is comedy of the darkest variety, often straying close to psychological...

By Emily Wight In his new film Sixteen,  writer and director Rob Brown uses the backdrop of murky grey London estates to draw a comparison between gang violence in the UK and conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), focusing in particular on how violence affects young people. The film tells the story of Congolese teenager, Jumah, who has recently been adopted by a British nurse, Laura. He’s preoccupied and detached, and hates seeing the fighting in video...

Reviewed by Miranda Schiller @mirandadadada Andreas seems to have the perfect life: Respected in his job as a police officer, relied on by his friends, he lives in a tastefully decorated house in rural Denmark with his beautiful wife and their new born son. In all areas of life, he is loving, responsible and knows right from wrong. Such heights would not last long for any character in a film, but especially not if the film is made by Susanne...

By Stephen Mayne  @finalreel In a world awash with adaptations of young adult dystopian fiction, The Hunger Games series still towers above its brethren. The first two outings were fresh and thrilling experiences, full of colour, action and the newly minted star power of Jennifer Lawrence. She remains the chief attraction, just as her character Katniss Everdeen seems to hold the fate of Panem in her palm, but the youthful charm is wearing off. Hampered by the commercially astute and...

By Emma Silverthorn @HouseOf_Gazelle Eight years from inception to completion but The Tale of The Princess Kaguya has been worth the wait. Isao Takhata’s swansong, an adaption of an ancient Japanese folktale, is a nuanced tale with added spiritual dimensions. Springing from a bamboo shoot, growing at an exponential rate, Studio Ghibli offers the viewer a Princess it’s hard not to fall in love with. Princess Kaguya progresses from adorable baby to strong-willed teenager within the space of a year. But...

By Miranda Schiller @mirandadadada Diane, a single mother picks up her teenage son Steve from a care facility for young people with behavioural difficulties. It is the last one in a series of similar institutions. This time he is expelled for starting a fire in the cafeteria, and everyone but his mother seems to have given up on him. His regular violent outbursts, provocative behaviour and hyperactivity have only increased since the death of his father three years earlier. But...