Film Reviews by HM

Witty, daft and just plain silly. Just like the first one really. Did you like the first one? You will like the second I would have thought. Entertaining and action packed; get beer, get popcorn, snuggle down and allow yourself to be entertained.

In your face real slice of life movie. Margot Robbie hits the spot portraying a 'bad background' overbearing parent abused young woman. How do you make it in the genteel world of ice skating when your parents are one up from trailer trash? Well now we know.

Tonya is a feisty aggressive personality determined to make it despite the walls falling down around her. Her shortcomings are not disguised in any way, but I found myself cheering her on. A tragedy and an education, the movie had me sucked into the back office of the glamourous ice skating arena.

So glad I watched it and sharing Tonya's liking for heavy rock music, I loved her whole approach to performance, however it didn't sit well with the establishment; hillbillies meet middle class America. Loved it.

Dull film about people that are difficult to like. The obsessive and neurotic personality played by Weisz careers towards self destruction in her relationship with a bounder/risk taker she elopes with leaving her high establishment husband high and dry. Sadly she comes across as an idiot, hard to sympathise with. Add to this a plodding script, it isn't worth staying in for.

Well this was Asgard in the jungle, 'magic' science, warrior cast (no cleaners of cooks in sight). Plot same as last Thor movie; Dad dies eldest son to inherit throne but half 'bastard' brother turns up to claim throne for himself; Loki in Thor and some bloke from a housing project in Panther.

South African accents abound (that is a white accent in origin as far as I know). Amazonian warriors pop up too. This whole movie is a bunch of tired ideas slapped together with the usual CGI to make it eye catching.

As for the politics; the usual anti-western drivel neglecting the fact that Africa was a patchwork of empires long before anybody else turned up. The Zulus being the obvious example. Is liberal Hollywood this far out of touch with reality? OK it is a comic book movie but let's try and pop some intelligence in there for once. Rubbish movie, hyped up to the gills by the studio and the critics who need to review themselves if they recommend this bunk.

A rambling film; anti-masculinity, be nice to immigrants, spread wealth about more fairly (I thought Scandinavian countries did that already?). A good old liberal arty outing. Sadly it rambles too much; 2.5 hours turned out to be irritating torture.

It won Palm D'or award which tells you something. You will be scratching your head through most of this unengaging tale. Find something that actually tries to entertain instead of giving a lame, hard to fathom lecture. Thumbs down.

Despite a fresh start it is hard not to be weary of this whole reboot business. The last one was left hanging in the air and I expect this version will go the same way. I am afraid the studios are so mesmerised by the bucks they put little heart into these superhero movies anymore and it shows.

Well, despite my reservations it is entertaining enough. His romance with a girl clearly nothing like him in any way is not convincing. The personalities of his school rivals and mates are reimagined to no great effect, in fact they are nonentities.

However, the story makes sense and the action sequences are eye catching so it's pop corn and beer time. I don't think I will be watching a sequel, I got a bit dulled after 100 minutes; too long. Enough is enough!

Well, the people in this 'play on film' are not attractive but definitely magnetic. A rollercoaster of a ride through people's pretensions and tortured love lives as they meet for a party in an expensive but cramped end terrace house in our capitol city. Are there people like this? I expect so and it that case it is an education.

An intelligent film, it won't appeal to those seeking a movie that serves up entertainment without having to meet it with a little thought and pay attention; you may miss signals about who lurks behind each mask.

A cruel satire on London elite manners and angst, but I couldn't take my eyes off it, despite not being like that myself... err I hope. Maybe it touches a few truths about you the viewer as well. A bad thought.

Provocative and funny too. More than a few twists and turns, which may take you by surprise.

As a thriller it is B movie standard. As an art house concept where real life is supposed to interact with fiction it flops. No real tie-up. The charisma of the top of the bill actors saves the day and I suspect some of the people who enjoyed it just enjoyed them. Imagine the film with unknowns playing main characters and it doesn't work on any level. Be prepared to hate it or tolerate it for aforementioned reason.

Well knock me down with a feather! An intriguing drama about the sado-masochistic story of the invention of a cartoon character. I expect stuff is lurking around behind other comic creations too as the whole genre is camp and a bit odd. Performances are strong, scripting is engaging and how on earth did Wonder Woman ever get into print for kids featuring bondage and whipping/spanking etc?

I found the movie informative and entertaining; a great combination if you like to 'learn something' when you watch a movie. Certainly caught my attention and kept it.

I never thought the artist's style, which could be garish to my eye, could be so attractive and 'real'. I was totally absorbed by its beauty. The story is retrospective, we meet the characters that knew him and have a different perspective on his demise. A mystery develops (not a new theme) which I found to be completely fascinating.

A wonderful way to spend 90 minutes! Much recommended for those that like a gentle emotional movie. No crash bang wallop stuff, just intelligence and an emotional nudge.

Absurd, however, the boorish behaviour of the Stalin entourage was born out by no lesser witness than General Alan Brooke Chief of Staff during Britain's war effort, who saw first hand the ludicrous peasant culture of the people involved whilst at dinner with them. Drunken, aggressive and gorging on food whilst their people starved. Read his memoires of world war 2, you will be surprised. This oafish bunch are of course a send-up, but it wouldn't take much effort to do it.

As for Beria, the NKVD head, his viscous personality was understated in this movie, a total psychopath having footballers sent to the gulags for poor performance etc. Nut case.

I found the film entertaining and this shower deserved satirical treatment, it is a question of whether the satire is milder than the truth!

Perhaps over the top for some but it stacked up the emotional climaxes to push them all over in the end.

A women's daughter has been raped and killed. Her expectations of all around her are unreasonable as she bulldozes her way through other people's lives, she has been emotionally brutalised and everybody else is going to get their share. The police Chief, ex-husband, son and second daughter included.

The local police office appears to be manned by Keystone Cops in keeping with the usual 'Southern' redneck view so loved by the left/liberal darlings of the movie business. Their dumb-ass behaviour is standard cliché material in movies incorporating the South.

Despite latter misgiving, the film explores people's reactions to extreme and disruptive emotional behaviour and draws you in. I suspect that those disliking the movie found the emotional ride too hard to handle. I found it worthwhile.

Well this is about hand ringing liberal Hollywood introducing us to the conflict of the west and having everybody forgive and forget at the end. More to do with today's America really. The 'western' backdrop is just a convenience. A message of 'feel guilty' about your past Yanks, and atone for your sins.

Entertaining violence holds hands with soul searching by the main characters. Good to watch? Certainly. Exciting? Yes it has its moments. Brutalised people are healed by the road trip from New Mexico to Wyoming (595 miles); an unlikely journey on horseback with a sandwich and a bottle of water if you ask me. Thank heavens for the Comanches who serve as 'mad' people bent on destruction; so the cavalry were right to see them off then; a blatant contradiction to the message of he film.

Did I enjoy it? Yes, because the action was good, the scenery entrancing and performances powerful, but it didn't override the feeling I was being conned by a political message which was the driver of the whole thing. Anti-Trump message? Definitely.

Well some say it is sentimental rubbish and others are charmed. I am amongst the latter. Basically this is a fairy-tale, but unlike Pan's Labyrinth which is 'real life' and slots in the surreal as the young girl goes on her journey to the underworld, the whole story is a fantasy and you are left in no doubt about this. The cliché 'goodies and baddies' characters are the stuff of fairy tales and so it is here.

Del Toro doesn't like authority, this much is clear from previous films putting him in the Liberal camp politically, so a friend of Hollywood indeed! I don't expect movies to be 'real' but examine human emotions and circumstance in any form the makers prefer; best go with the flow methinks. If you do that with del Toro you will enjoy his world. I was entertained by this fairy tale and allowed it to wash over me. Do the same and you will be rewarded.

Wonderful photography and atmosphere created by the sets by the way.

The movie shows a range of attitudes and spreads some blame around, which made it feel more authentic for that. Based on a real event, a group of blacks get caught up in the bad behaviour of an irresponsible few of the same background. Cultures clash all the way through. Ingrained racism comes to the fore under pressure of civil disorder allowing some cops to express their anger and hatred for the black guys. It quickly spirals out of control as other, more reasonable characters, in the National Guard and police stand by as events unfold, eventually abandoning the scene unable to cope with it and confront the main dominant character.

It made me squirm and I don't mind confessing it as decency and reason evaporate; what would you do? Scary. A strong drama which to my surprise takes place mainly in one location as the riot continues outside. An education actually; it made me feel a witness to a story which surely cannot be true; but it is.

Will the perpetrators be brought to justice? Surely the law will catch up with them; or will it. Spellbinding suspense.