by James Winterbottom on 5 stars, Film reviews

Amy (2015) – A documentary by Asif Kapadia

Amy - A documentary by Asif KapadiaAmy is a documentary about the life and death of Amy Winehouse by Asif Kapadia, the director of Senna. It’s a fabulous and sad account of a very interesting person. It doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of Amy’s life but it also gives a more rounded picture than I’d had from the various media reports I’d seen.

Like Senna, the documentary about the champion race driver, Amy tells the story of its subject without narration. This allows the interviewees and the footage the space to reveal the events and also gives you a chance to make your own mind up about what you’re being shown. … →

 
by James Winterbottom on 4 stars, Film reviews

Foxcatcher (2014) film review – Steve Carrell at his creepiest

Foxcatcher reviewFoxcatcher is a film about the strange relationship that develops between a very weird rich guy and a slightly weird wrestler (plus his pretty normal brother). It’s based on a true story, using the book written by Mark Shultz, the character played by Channing Tatum. Steve Carrell plays John du Pont, the eccentric multimillionaire.

I’ve got no interest in wrestling or millionaires but it’s a dark, brooding kind of story which bubbles along and contains some remarkable performances from the three main actors. It’s so subtle at times that some might find it boring but the great acting and skilled direction meant there was always enough happening to hold my attention. … →

 
by James Winterbottom on 5 stars, Film reviews

Birdman (or the unexpected virtue of ignorance) review

BirdmanBirdman is the story of an actor that used to star in a superhero franchise twenty years ago and is now trying to launch a career on Broadway by writing, directing and starring in a play. Michael Keaton stars as Riggan, the bedraggled former star who spends the film bouncing from one problem to the next.

The performances are all great, the filming style fascinating and the story pulls you in and keeps hold of you until the end credits. It’s amongst my favourite films of the last year and I think it’s a film that deserves a much wider audience than it’s currently found in the UK. … →

 
by James Winterbottom on 3 stars, Film reviews

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Hobbit film reviewYou probably already have an opinion about Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and Peter Jackson’s screen versions of the classic Tolkien books. This film won’t change your mind either way. It’s neither a crushing disappointment or a massive accomplishment, it’s just another quite long film with all the usual mix of good stuff and bad stuff.

There were a few moments in the film where I had to stop myself from audibly groaning but I also got sucked into the story at other times and enjoyed the chance to spend some more time in Middle Earth. I came out of the cinema feeling like I’d been entertained but wasn’t bowled over in the same way I was by the original Lord of the Rings trilogy of films. … →

 
by James Winterbottom on 3 stars, Film reviews

St. Vincent – Average story + Bill Murray = decent film

st vincent reviewSt. Vincent doesn’t tread any new ground but is still a warmly entertaining light comedy which gives Bill Murray a platform to be, well, Bill Murray. The film is a buddy movie where a young boy befriends a grumpy old man with predictable but enjoyable consequences. It’s funny, charming, sad and stars Bill Murray, so despite any grumbles, it’s a good film.

Bill Murray is perfectly cast as the misanthropic old guy with a rough exterior but a heart of gold. In fact if almost anyone else had the starring role instead of Murray this would probably have been a pretty dull film. But Murray elevates the film and keeps things interesting.

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by James Winterbottom on 4 stars, Film reviews

The Imitation Game – An entertaining history lesson

imitation game reviewBenedict Cumberbatch is one of the few actors that I’d happily sit and watch read the phone book. So it’s great to watch an actor at the top of his craft in a film with such an important and interesting story. It’s basically a story about how World War II was won, but rather than tanks and bombs the story focus on nerds and crossword experts that are struggling to decode the Nazi’s enigma machine.

It’s tricky to judge what is and isn’t a spoiler in this review. Alan Turing is someone that I suspect most people have at least heard of and know as the guy that broke the Enigma machine’s code which was then used to beat the Nazis. There’s also a lot more to his story which is revealed in the film, which I’ll avoid going into where possible. If you’re worried about spoilers though it’s best to stop here and watch the film. It’s definitely worth it. … →

 
by James Winterbottom on 4 stars, Film reviews

Interstellar – Sound problems and plot holes don’t spoil a good film

interstellar film reviewInterstellar is a good film, that’s the important thing to know. There’s plenty of things that you can pick up on that aren’t perfect but it’s a big film in terms of both ambition and running time. Matthew McConaughey turns in a good performance as the lead and Christopher Nolan shows his ability to create stories which are compelling.

So it’s mostly good stuff – but there are some significant issues about the sound and the story requires the viewer to take several leaps of faith to be able to go along with the storyline which teeters on the brink of the absurd towards the end. It’s a film that has big ambitions that it doesn’t quite reach but still ended up being an enjoyable trip to the cinema. … →

 
by James Winterbottom on 4 stars, Film reviews

Nightcrawler (2014) – Jake Gyllenhaal’s crazy eyes

Nightcrawler review

Most people are aware of the phenomenon where people slow down when driving past a car accident. It’s not like people actually want to see blood and chaos but at the same time we’re grimly drawn to the spectacle. Indulging the rubber-necker instinct is what the players in Nightcrawler trade in. It’s about Louis (Jake Gyllenhaal), who becomes a nightcrawler, a freelance news gatherer. He uses a police scanner to get to the scene of grisly crimes and tries to capture footage he can then sell to the TV news.

The film centres around a stunning performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, who turns in the best performance I’ve seen from him. He completely transforms into a maniacal sociopath, echoing Robert DeNiro in King of Comedy and Christian Bale in American Psycho. It’s uncomfortable to watch him at times but I also found myself wanting him to come out on top, even though he’s a complete moral vacuum. … →

 
by James Winterbottom on 3 stars, Film reviews

Fury (2014) Film review – Solidly entertaining

Fury film posterFury centres around a five-man tank crew pushing their way into Germany late in World War Two. Brad Pitt stars as Don “Wardaddy” Collier who’s in charge of the fresh faced kid, the weird religious guy, Shane from Walking Dead and the friendly guy that’s making up the numbers. It’s a film that’s easy to watch, tense in the right places and has some thought provoking bits about the horrors of war. Nothing in the film feels all that new but like an old pair of underpants, you can really enjoy sitting in this story for a couple of hours. … →

 
by James Winterbottom on 3 stars, Film reviews

Wish I Was Here – Zach Braff

wish i was here reviewZach Braff’s Kickstarter funded project delivers a sequence of beautiful moments that don’t become a satisfying whole.

It’s not that there isn’t plenty to like in this film, in fact it may be that there’s too much to like. There’s so much meaning and symbolism that the story buckles under the strain.
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