Reviews written for films released in the UK in 2013
There was a time, a time before Anchorman... But really, who wants to remember that time? Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's first movie about news-reading anarchy has enjoyed the kind of ripple-effect longevity that comedy filmmakers dream of. So it's easy to forget that, on release, the first Anchorman was not considered a success; the reviews were … Continue reading Review: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
The top ten Upstream ColorFrances HaLike Someone In LoveThe Act Of KillingBefore MidnightNebraskaOnly God ForgivesBlue Is The Warmest ColourGravityPost Tenebras Lux Film Of The YearUpstream Color "From its angelic score to the sun-bleached visuals, the film slides through the viewer’s mind as though airborne, weightless and in some way transcendent. I’m aware of exactly how … Continue reading The Best of 2013
The year is 2154. Earth is overpopulated and under-resourced. Los Angeles looks like a cross between a war zone and a never-ending shanty town. The poor are the population. Up above, orbiting the Earth, the rich minority live in comfort aboard space station Elysium; a shining white band of luxury not dissimilar to silicon valley … Continue reading Review: Elysium
I didn't think I would be recommending Frances Ha, but I am. From the outset this sounded as though it had the potential to be one of the flimsiest if not plain irritating films of the year. A large part of this has to do with my own scepticism regarding director Noah Baumbach. Whilst depressed-Ben … Continue reading Review: Frances Ha
When a successful and respected director from the world cinema stage makes their debut on US soil there's usually a justifiable sense of unease. Are they selling out? Sanitising themselves? And if not, will the sensibilities of one culture translate into, ahem, American. It's tough to predict, and when it doesn't work it really doesn't work. Takashi … Continue reading Review: Stoker
