Director: Michael Showalter Stars: Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Vincent D'Onofrio With an approach to subtlety that makes House of Gucci look positively mannered, Michael Showalter's brash biopic of TV evangelist Tammy Faye flings itself toward The Academy like a monkey on a tyre swing. Jessica Chastain is Showalter's howling primate gurning for pennies. As she swoops …
Review: IT Chapter Two
Director: Andy Muschietti Stars: Bill Hader, Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy Andy Muschietti's IT felt like a culmination of everything popular horror had been trying to do in the cinema for the past 10 years. It was a grandiose, nostalgia-laced funhouse of jump scares. It moved sleekly, it looked gorgeous and - as with King's doorstop source …
Celebrity Rising: The Stars of the 2010s
Do not worry about that title. The Lost Highway Hotel isn't about to descend into vacuous red carpet glamour. But as the end of the decade starts appearing on the horizon (and with 100 film recommendations already live for your exploration) it felt like a neat time to celebrate the incredible acting talents that have …
Review: Molly’s Game
Director: Aaron Sorkin Stars: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Michael Cera For those not previously acquainted with the life and (mis)deeds of Molly Bloom there are two main draws to this new film, which seems intent on slipping out unnoticed in the shadow of Star Wars. Firstly, the acting clout of Jessica Chastain, comfortably one of the …
Review: The Martian
Director: Ridley Scott Stars: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Michael Peña As of late my reviews of Ridley Scott films have included caveats regarding how the man's output has disappointed me for quite some time. Granted, I gave the odious looking Exodus: Gods and Kings as wide a berth as possible, but aside from that it's time for me …
Review: Interstellar
Director: Christopher Nolan Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Timothée Chalamet My major criticism of recent Christopher Nolan films (the pretty-great Inception and the rather-lacking The Dark Knight Rises) has been their rigidity. Nolan is a supremely accomplished and endlessly talented filmmaker, but his strengths flourish in a technical sense. His recent works have felt more like architectural …
Review: Zero Dark Thirty
Director: Kathryn Bigelow Stars: Jessica Chastain, James Gandolfini, Jason Clarke Kathyrn Bigelow loves tech and testosterone. From the likes of Point Break and The Hurt Locker we've learned this already. The latter even beat former-husband James Cameron at his own game at the 2010 Oscars. When it was announced that her follow-up project was to be Zero …
Review: Lawless
Director: John Hillcoat Stars: Guy Pearce, Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy Lawless is a bloody and violent film, one which whole-heartedly earns its 18 certificate. Set in rural Virginia circa 1931, it proposes to tell the true story of the Bondurant boys, siblings dedicated to the production and transportation of moonshine, attempting to grow rich off …
Review: The Tree Of Life
Director: Terrence Malick Stars: Jessica Chastain, Brad Pitt, Hunter McCracken ***originally written 13 July 2011*** The first 15 minutes of The Tree Of Life, Terrence Malick’s new Palme D’Or winning opus, may put you off, dealing as they do, quite frankly, with the intense grieving process that parents go through at the sudden death of …