Despite a difficult time at the box-office, particularly during the blockbuster summer season, 2017 has been a another solid and eventful year for film, featuring an eclectic mix of independent cinema and major tent-pole releases which as usual defined the landscape, and with industry new boys Netflix and Amazon making their presence felt come film […]

Review 119min Genre:       Fact-based, Drama Director:    David Gordon Green Cast:         Jake Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson…more Writers:     John Pollono, Jeff Bauman and Bret Witter -Synopsis- Caught up in the devastation of the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013, a young man struggles to physically and emotionally recover from his ordeal while becoming an unsuspecting symbol of […]

Review 121min Genre:     Fact-based, Comedy, Drama, Sport Director:  Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris Cast:       Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough…and more Writer:    Simon Beaufoy -Synopsis- A light-hearted story of the struggle for equal rights in professional tennis, set against the backdrop of the media circus surrounding the exhibition match between legendary women’s world number one […]

Review 101min Genre:       Crime, Drama, Thriller Directors:   Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie Cast:         Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Buddy Duress…and more Writers:     Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie -Synopsis- When an ill-conceived heist goes wrong and his mentally challenged bother is captured, a young New York street criminal plunges into a tense and unpredictable night of […]

Review 98min Genre:       Comedy, Drama Director:    Matt Spicer Cast:         Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O’Shea Jackson Jr.…and more Writers:     David Branson Smith and Matt Spicer -Synopsis- A troubled young lady follows her social media obsession West to L.A. where she strategically inserts herself into the life of her lifestyle ‘guru’ idol and unsuspecting Instagram star, creating […]

Review 105min Genre:       Fact-based, Drama, Romance Director:    Paul McGuigan Cast:         Jamie Bell, Annette Bening, Julie Walters…and more Writers:     Matt Greenhalgh and Peter Turner -Synopsis- After an unlikely ocean-spanning, 1970s whirlwind romance between young British actor Peter Turner and ageing ‘Golden Era’ screen siren Gloria Grahame ends, a tender relationship is rekindled on the streets of […]

Review 111min Genre:       Drama Director:    Sean Baker Cast:         Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Willem Dafoe…and more Writers:     Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch -Synopsis- A gritty yet comical tale of brazen behaviour and childlike innocence, set the in the seedy live-in motels in the shadow of the Disney Empire and seen through the eyes of an adorably […]

Review 120min Genre:       Drama, Mystery, Thriller Director:    Yorgos Lanthimos Cast:         Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan…and more Writers:     Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou -Synopsis- A successful surgeon and family man’s life takes a downward spiral after he’s drawn into the world of a troubled young patient and is forced to make an inconceivable choice . […]

Review 132min Genre:       Drama, Romance Director:    Luca Guadagnino Cast:         Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg…more Writers:     James Ivory and Andre Aciman -Synopsis- During a 1980s summer in small-town northern Italy, a teenager forms a fraternal relationship with an American grad student and researcher who’s come to stay with his family of academics—but this seasonal bond […]

Review 132min Genre:     Action, Crime, Thriller Director:  S. Craig Zahler Cast:       Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Don Johnson…and more Writer:    S. Craig Zahler -Synopsis- When a tough but honest ex-criminal gets forced back into his drug-dealing ways, consequence comes knocking as his burgeoning young family is replaced by concrete walls and metal doors—only for a dangerous […]

The 4th of October this year saw the start of the world’s most accessible major international film festival, as filmmakers and media from across the globe joined the great British public in the West End and beyond for 12 days of film promotion and appreciation at the 61st London Film Festival (LFF), brought to us […]

Review 122min Genre:       Crime, Drama, Romance Directors:   Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza Cast:         Julia Jedlikowska, Gaetano Fernandez, Sabine Timoteo…more Writers:     Fabio Grassadonia, Antonio Piazza, Marco Mancassola -Synopsis- In picturesque rural Northern Sicily, a teenage boy and son of a local Mafia boss-turned-stool pigeon mysteriously disappears, only for his determined young girlfriend to defy the indifference […]

Review 105min Genre:       Drama, Romance Director:    Léa Mysius Cast:         Noée Abita, Juan Cano, Laure Calamy…and more Writers:     Léa Mysius and Paul Guilhaume -Synopsis- When 13-year-old loner ‘Ava’ is hit with the prospect of the impending loss of her eyesight while on a French beachside vacation with her family, the spirited teen decides to accelerate her […]

Review 140min Genre:     Action, Adventure, Drama Director:  Takashi Miike Cast:       Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sôta Fukushi…and more Writers:   Hiroaki Samura and Tetsuya Oishi -Synopsis- In the hope of regaining his soul and finally achieving inner peace, a skilled but cursed and cranky immortal Samurai agrees to help a young girl avenge her parents, murdered by […]

Review 110min Genre:       Comedy, Drama Director:    Noah Baumbach Cast:         Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller…and more Writer:      Noah Baumbach -Synopsis- A quirky, dysfunctional and estranged New York family come together to rally around their difficult and imposing artist father at the twilight of his years, only for a series of unexpected events to dredge up […]

Review 127min Genre:       Drama Director:    Andrey Zvyagintsev Cast:         Maryana Spivak, Aleksey Rozin, Aleksey Fateev…and more Writers:     Andrey Zvyagintsev and Oleg Negin -Synopsis- A feuding self-centred couple—intent on moving on with their individual lives after their imminent divorce—are confronted by their own loveless upbringing and the neglectful treatment of their young son after he mysteriously disappears, […]

Review 121min Genre:       Adventure, Drama Director:    Andrew Haigh Cast:         Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi, Travis Fimmel…and more Writers:     Andrew Haigh and Willy Vlautin -Synopsis- Teenager ‘Charley Thompson’ is used to living a nomadic life, moving from town-to-town in the Pacific Northwest with his grifter dad, with their latest move giving him the chance to work the […]

Review 97min Genre:       Comedy, Drama Director:    Dave McCary Cast:         Kyle Mooney, Mark Hamill, Ryan Simpkins…and more Writers:     Kyle Mooney and Kevin Costello… and more -Synopsis- James’s life is pretty simple, having grown up in isolation and cultivated an obsession with his beloved kid’s TV show and its star ‘Brigsby Bear’. But when the dark truth […]

Review 117min Genre:     Fact-based, Drama, Romance Director:  Andy Serkis Cast:       Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Tom Hollander…and more Writer:    William Nicholson -Synopsis- When adventurous British soul Robin Cavendish is struck down and paralysed by polio while in Africa, he relies on his loyal and determined wife Diana to not only survive but truly live, becoming a […]

2016 has been a another solid and eclectic year for film, without a single title dominating at the box-office or in critical acclaim; from comic-book titans like ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Captain America: Civil War’ to outrageous comedies like ‘The Nice Guys’ and ‘David Brent: Life on the Road’, from powerful dramas like […]

78min Genre:      Documentary Director:   Benjamin Ree Cast:        Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand…more Writers:    Linn-Jeanethe Kyed, Benjamin Ree -Synopsis- A biographical chronicle of young Norwegian chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen; from troubled but gifted youngster struggling with growing pains while evolving his game by leaps and bounds, to becoming the youngest ever number one ranked player […]

110min Genre:      Drama Director:   Mijke de Jong Cast:        Nora El Koussour, Ilias Addab…and more Writers:    Jan Eilander and Mijke de Jong -Synopsis- Living in modern-day Amsterdam, “Layla” is a smart and stubborn but angry and resentful Dutch-born Muslim teenager, whose devotion to Islam puts her on a path towards radicalisation; only for her ideals to […]

148min Genre:       Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Western Director:    Martin Koolhoven Cast:         Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, Carice van Houten…and more Writer:      Martin Koolhoven -Synopsis- Dakota Fanning stars in the 19th century American frontier tale of a young mute mother, whose life is thrown into turmoil by the appearance of a commanding and sinister reverend in her small […]

117min Genre:        Crime, Drama, Thriller Director:     Tom Ford Cast:          Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon…and more Writer:       Tom Ford and Austin Wright -Synopsis- Fashion designer Tom Ford’s second directorial outing is an ensemble dramatic thriller adapted from Austin Wright’s novel “Tony & Susan”; starring Amy Adams as a wealthy art dealer and divorcee, whose life […]

110min Genre:      Comedy, Drama, Romance, War Director:   Lone Scherfig Cast:        Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy…and more Writers:    Gaby Chiappe and Lissa Evans -Synopsis- British World War II dramedy starring Gemma Arterton as a London-based young Welsh writer in 1940, whose life is transformed when she’s hired by the UK government and the British film […]

129min Genre:      Fact-based, Drama Director:   Garth Davis Cast:        Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar, Nicole Kidman…and more Writers:    Saroo Brierley, Larry Buttrose, Luke Davies -Synopsis- Biographical drama based on the true story of Saroo Brierley; a poor 5-year-old Indian boy who was separated from his family and became one of India’s many street children a thousand miles […]

100min Genre:      Drama, Mystery Director:   Amat Escalante Cast:        Simone Bucio, Ruth Ramos, Jesus Meza…and more Writers:    Amat Escalante and Gibrán Portela -Synopsis- The lives of different people in modern day Mexico are irrevocably changed by chance meetings and a mysterious supernatural force, which unleashes their raw sexuality and unlocks their innermost desires, but there’s a […]

The 5th of October signalled the start of 12 days of appreciation for the art of filmmaking with the 60th edition of the London Film Festival (LFF), brought to us by the British Film Institute (BFI). As usual the LFF was a more egalitarian affair than its prestigious European counterparts (Cannes, Venice), with members of […]

134min Genre:       Fact-based, Drama Director:    Oliver Stone Cast:         Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans…more Writers:     Kieran Fitzgerald, Oliver Stone, Luke Harding… and more -Synopsis- Oliver Stone directs and Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in a biographical drama about former CIA/NSA analyst and infamous whistleblower Edward Snowden; seen as a hero by some and a traitor by others, […]

135min Genre:       Drama Director:    Kenneth Lonergan Cast:         Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams…and more Writer:      Kenneth Lonergan -Synopsis- A stoic and blunt Boston handyman is forced back to his coastal old stomping grounds by the death of his brother and is confronted by new and unexpected responsibilities regarding his teenage nephew; but his Massachusetts trip […]

120min Genre:      Fact-based, Drama Director:   Nate Parker Cast:        Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King…and more Writers:    Nate Parker and Jean McGianni Celestin -Synopsis- Nate Parker writes, directs and stars in a biographical drama about the life of Nat Turner; an early 19th century slave and preacher in the antebellum south, who led a violent […]

116min Genre:      Sci-fi, Drama, Mystery Director:   Denis Villeneuve Cast:        Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker…and more Writers:    Eric Heisserer and Ted Chiang -Synopsis- When mysterious alien spacecraft land on twelve random spots across the globe, a unique and world-renown linguist is recruited by US authorities to communicate with and ascertain the intentions of the newly […]

97min Genre:       Drama Director:    Nicolette Krebitz Cast:         Lilith Stangenberg, Georg Friedrich, Pit Bukowski…and more Writer:      Nicolette Krebitz -Synopsis- Tired of a lonely and mundane existence as an office assistant in German suburbia;  a young lady’s life takes a drastic turn when a chance encounter with a wild Wolf becomes an unhealthy obsession, mushrooming into a […]

91min Genre:       Fact-based, Crime, Drama Director:    Justin Kelly Cast:         Garrett Clayton, James Franco, Christian Slater…and more Writers:     Justin Kelly and D. Madison Savage -Synopsis- A handsome teenager’s cross-country casting trip turns into the start of Gay porn superstardom for “Brent Corrigan”, when he moves in with his middle-aged porn producer; but when the relationship turns […]

163min Genre:       Drama Director:    Andrea Arnold Cast:         Sasha Lane, Shia LaBeouf, Riley Keough…and more Writer:      Andrea Arnold -Synopsis- 18-year-old Southern girl “Star” seems destined for a life of struggle in the poverty-stricken American heartland, when a chance encounter turns into a new life on the road with a ragtag group of youngsters, becoming the newest […]

83min Genre:      Comedy, Drama Director:    Ivan I. Tverdovskiy Cast:         Natalya Pavlenkova, Dmitriy Groshev, Irina Chipizhenko…more Writer:      Ivan I. Tverdovskiy -Synopsis- When Natasha randomly and bizarrely grows a considerable tail; the life of this lonely demure Russian zookeeper begins to drastically change as a newfound sense of freedom and a second adolescence beckons in this darkly […]

103min Genre:      Drama Director:   Katell Quillévéré Cast:        Emmanuelle Seigner, Tahar Rahim, Anne Dorval…and more Writers:    Maylis De Kerangal, Katell Quillévéré, Gilles Taurand -Synopsis- When a teenage surfer is left clinically brain-dead from a horrific car accident, his distraught parents have a heart-wrenching decision to make regarding the imminent next step; the outcome of which will […]

110min Genre:      Crime, Drama Director:   Brillante Mendoza Cast:        Jaclyn Jose, Julio Diaz, Baron Geisler…and more Writer:     Troy Espiritu -Synopsis- From her humble convenience store in the slums of Manila, tough family matriarch “Ma’ Rosa” sells everything from household goods to food… and of course plenty of methamphetamine or “ice”. But when she’s rumbled by corrupt […]

108min Genre:     Animation, Drama, Fantasy Director:  J.A. Bayona Cast:       Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver…and more Writers:   Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd -Synopsis- “Conor” is a 12-year-old boy and yet clearly the man of the house, self-sufficient and a carer for his ailing young single mother; but when life’s struggles begin to take their toll, […]

90min Genre:       Comedy, Drama Director:    Abe Forsythe Cast:         Lincoln Younes, Rahel Romahn, Alexander England…more Writer:      Abe Forsythe -Synopsis- In the aftermath of the 2005 race riots in the “Cronulla” suburb of Sydney; fuelled by fear and hatred, a misfit group of vengeful Lebanese-Australians are on a collision course with a motley crew of white working-class […]

115min Genre:       Fact-based, Drama Director:    Antonio Campos Cast:         Rebecca Hall, Tracy Letts, Michael C. Hall…and more Writer:      Craig Shilowich -Synopsis- Rebecca Hall stars in a biographical drama about the final days of Christine Chubbuck; a Florida local news reporter whose psychological issues and personality traits conspired with a deep-seated resentment about her work, driving her […]

111min Genre:     Fact-based, Drama, Romance Director:  Amma Asante Cast:       David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Jack Davenport…and more Writer:    Guy Hibbert -Synopsis- Amma Asante directs a biographical drama based on the true story of Prince and future first president Seretse Khama of Botswana and his controversial interracial relationship with his white British wife Ruth Williams, an early […]

80min Country:   Belgium, France, Japan Genre:      Animation, Family, Fantasy, Mystery Director:   Michael Dudok de Wit Writers:    Michael Dudok de Wit, Pascale Ferran  -Synopsis- Stranded on a deserted island and struggling to survive; a desperate castaway develops a rivalry with a mysterious giant red turtle, but this unlikely adversary may prove to be the key to […]

2015 has been a another strong and varied year for film, from comic-book titans and quirky comedies to powerful dramas and captivating indies. It’s also been a big year for the Action/Adventure blockbuster, from disappointments like ‘Jupiter Ascending’ and ‘Terminator Genisys’ to triumphant box-office goliaths like ‘Jurassic World’ and ‘Spectre’, not to mention the most […]