Film Reviews by AB

I give this film 3 stars, but only just. The lead actors are OK, the problem is the script. For a supposed comedy, I found it merely smile-inducing, rather than laugh-inducing. A bit disappointing.

This tale of Greek communities in north London is a very strange film. The story wanders around , possibly with allusion to Greek myths. At one point, a mother tells her children the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, with absolutely no connection to the plot that I could discern. Vinnie Jones has a role as a hardman/hitman and I suppose he is the main draw. It is all rather amateurish film-making. Not recommended.

I had high hopes for this film, but to say we were diappointed is an understatement. First off, it is shot in black and white, for no good reason that I can see. Secondly, there is a persistent musical background soundtrack that makes it difficult to hear the dialogue. Then we come to the subject matter. The film is about Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) agreeing to look after his young nephew Jesse for an indefinite period. Johnny really has no idea how to cope with the irritating, disobedient, spoilt brat that is Jesse. He ends up indulging just about every demand that Jesse makes. The most embarassing moment is when Johnny makes a laborious apology to Jesse for getting angry when Jesse runs away and disappears in the middle of New York. I can not recommend this film.

You may remember the extraordinary rescue of the the Thai boys trapped in a flooded cave system. But this amazing film will reveal to you the ingenuity and bravery of the cave divers involved in the rescue. The boys were starving and the oxygen in the cave was getting dangerously low. I found the film very emotional towards the end. One of the greatest rescues of all time. Do watch this film.

This is a pretty lightweight piece of fluff. Rashida Jones plays Laura, a stay-at-home mum with a daughter, whose husband is always at work. Bill Murray plays Laura's father as a rich, laconic, self-centred casanova (in his usual inimitable style). He persuades Laura that her husband must be having an affair and they set out to investigate. The film is well-acted but I would have preferred a lot more humour in the almost farcical situations the pair find themselves in. It is all pleasantly entertaining but leaves little impression.

The whole of the action in this short film takes place at a Jewish shiva gathering (mourning a deceased person). A young bisexual woman, played brilliantly by Rachel Sennott), finds herself in some most embarassing situations. The humour is of the excruciating, I want to curl up into a ball and disappear variety. We found not many laugh-out-loud moments. I think the film is worth a watch, just.

A Danish soldier (Mads Mikkelsen) returns from Afghanistan because his wife has been killed in a train crash. Then an amazing wild ride ensues. This film has an extraordinary combination of serious violence, comedy, pathos, philosophy and for good measure, probability theory. It also contains a lot of swearing and some sexual aspects. Mikkelsen is good as the damaged, taciturn soldier prone to violence. This is a highly original and very watchable film, although subtitled. Strongly recommended.

We really enjoyed this mystery. Anna Kendrick is good as a ditzy vlogger who makes friends with a dissolute, outrageous businesswoman beautifully played by Blake Lively. The businesswoman suddeny disappears completely leaving the vlogger looking after her son. Mystery ensues. Recommended.

We can't understand how this got 4.5 stars. We were so disappointed. The problem is that if you already know that everything is going to go wrong, and the actors are not very good, it is just unfunny. The only genuinely funny bits were the mishaps with Peter Pan flying around the stage. Stage accidents are only funny when they are genuine or when very talented actors make them look genuine. And that, regrettably, is not the case here.

This is a well-acted thriller that gradually winds up the tension until it explodes into strong violence. Kevin Costner, frequently underrated, gives a great performance as does Diane Lane, as a retired couple wanting to reclaim their grandson. An almost unrecognisable Lesley Manville gives a star turn as a psychopathic matriarch. Recommended.

I normally like time-travel movies, but this one is incomprehensible during and even at the end of the film. The first 30 minutes of the film is just a conversation in a bar between the two main characters. I actually had to check that I had been sent the right DVD. My wife was as equally baffled as I was. It's a shame because Ethan Hawke is a talented actor.

I agree very much with AA's review, except I give it 4 stars. The film has some real heavyweight acting talent in it and it shows. The true story has some similarities to Hacksaw Ridge, and it is just as good as that film. The last part is very emotional and my wife and I had tears in our eyes. Highly recommended.

This is such a dismal, miserable film that we stopped watching after about 30 minutes, and we rarely do that. The characters are all unlikeable, selfish and self-destructive. Horrible.

This is a light-hearted, witty film, just the thing for dismal winter nights. Sure, it is dialogue heavy but mostly it is sparkling stuff. We laughed aloud at some of the typical Woody Allen gags. There are also amusing elements of farce in the mix. Good fun.

This is the true story of an ingrained culture of sexual harassment and abuse at Fox News. The chief abuser is the head of the organisation Roger Ailes, played with ruthless misogyny by John Lithgow. He uses threats, fear and promises of advancement to get his way. Three of the many women harassed by Ailes are played brilliantly by Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie.

It takes one brave woman to take on Ailes, then many other women begin to come forward. This film is a powerful depiction of corporate silence about routine sexual harassment, superbly acted. Strongly recommended.