February 2012

The Archives

  • 02.01.12
    LIKE CRAZY: Watch young love struggle to survive. Fall. Reviews, Trailers, Twitter | Comments Off
    LIKE CRAZY Directed by Drake Doremus. Starring Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence. 90 mins. Rating: Four/Five In cinemas January 27 A BEAUTIFULLY ACTED AND WONDERFULLY ORGANIC PORTRAIT OF THE INTENSITY OF YOUNG LOVE Last year’s Blue Valentine charted the depressing journey of two people who fall out of love with each other. Though slighter, Like Crazy may be an even sadder tale. For this wonderfully poignant, nuanced tale merely sees never see love worn down by the basic mechanics of a relationship conducted over too many miles, between two people much too young. Following the budding love affair between English rose Anna (Felicity Jones) ...
  • 02.01.12
    YOUNG ADULT: And they all grew up & lived unhappily ever after Reviews, Trailers, Twitter | Comments Off
    YOUNG ADULT Directed by Jason Reitman. Starring Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser. 94 mins. Rating: Four/Five In cinemas February 3 CHARLIZE THERON PROVES BEAUTIFUL WOMEN CAN BE UGLY PEOPLE IN JASON REITMAN’S DARK, UNCOMFROTABLE CHARACTER STUDY Hollywood was built by selling us happily-ever-afters that can’t even be bought in real-life. Boy gets girl, prostitutes become princesses and the bully always apologizes. But that’s not Jason Reitman’s style. In this uncomfortable, downbeat and dark feature that’s littered with life lessons never learned, Young Adult visits a theme Reitman explored in both Up in the Air and Juno – characters who’ve committed themselves to ...
  • 02.01.12
    THE DESCENDANTS: Too many laughs cutting through the tears Reviews, Trailers, Twitter | Comments Off
    THE DESCENDANTS Directed by Alexander Payne. Starring George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges, Matthew Lillard. 115 mins. Rating: Three/Five In cinemas January 27 GEORGE CLOONEY IMPRESSES IN ALEXANDER PAYNE’S INTERESTING, BUT FLAWED, DRAMEDY It’s like my mother always told me about men: “keep expectations low, so you won’t be disappointed.” (I’m lying, she never said that. Though I wish she had.) The winner of two Golden Globes and critics’ hearts the world over, Alexander Payne’s dramedy The Descendants proves frustrating not because it’s a bad film, but because it’s flawed one labelled as perfection. An unfeasibly long voice-over introduces Matt King (George ...
  • 02.01.12
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    CARNAGE Directed by Roman Polanski. Starring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz. 79 mins Rating: Three and a half/Five In cinemas February 3 POLANSKI’S ADAPTATION OF BROADWAY PLAY FILM IS A BITINGLY FUNNY, BRILLIANTLY ACTED COMEDY OF NO MANNERS It’s perhaps unsurprising that the first film fugitive Roman Polanski has made since narrowly escaping an extradition order is based around the themes of confinement, hypocrisy and liberal agenda. Based on Yasmina Reza’s hugely successful play, Carnage sees “touchy-feely” liberal couple the Longstreets (Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly), invite corporate cynics the Cowans (Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz) to their home ...
  • 02.01.12
    THE SITTER: Loweirng the bar, so Rob Schneider doesn’t have to Reviews, Trailers, Twitter | Comments Off
    THE SITTER Directed by David Gordon Green. Starring Jonah Hill, Sam Rockwell, Max Records, Ari Graynor, Landry Bender. 81 mins. Rating: One/Five In cinemas now HILL REVERTS BACK TO HIS DEFAULT OBNOXIOUS MODE IN THIS OFFENSIVELY UNFUNNY “COMEDY” It’s nice to know that this time of year, not every actor and filmmaker is succumbing to the pressure to make films that are Oscar-baiting dramas, or tear-jerking love tales, or epic biopics, or even any good! Yes, Jonah Hill comes through for us yet again, lowering the bar so that Rob Schneider doesn’t have to. Made after Hill’s stellar turn in Moneyball, it seems the dizzying heights ...