Film Reviews by CS

Paddy Considine is an excellent actor and director and this film about a boxer recovering from injury is further evidence of his qualities (alongside those of Jodie Whittikar amongst others). In the interview with Considine in the DVD extras he speaks of his love for boxing but this is also a fine grained analysis of its dangers and the level of realism is such that it is not an easy watch at times. The film is in many respects 'small scale' in focus - dealing with personal tragedy - but deals with big themes involving loss and reconciliation. I recommend it but would also say that you need to be in the right mood to watch it.

A waste of acting talent and frankly a waste of viewing time. Old plot, no new twist, stereotypes, cliches....

I'd read some very positive reviews of this in the media and it is a very well-acted film that conveys a real sense of authenticity

in depicting cultural tensions between a group of German workers and Bulgarian locals. It is slow, though, very, very, very slow, and while that helps in building a sense of just-below-the-surface tension this tests boredom thresholds and I'm afraid broke mine into little pieces.

Nicolas Cage turned up to 11 in this psychedelic revenge movie about a couple living 'off the grid' who encounter some nasties in the form of a religious cult and their 'helpers'. Things ain't gonna end well. The dreamlike quality of the film lends it character and Cage does a great line in being himself. Fun enough but not one of the better thriller/horrors around.

There is something satisfyingly 'old fashioned' about this film which doesn't rely on special effects or jumpy camerawork to convey atmosphere but depends instead on dialogue and a narrative in which the tension steadily grows to its dramatic conclusion. It was much better than I expected and while not one of the greatest films of all time was very enjoyable.

My wife and I had to fast forward chunks of this to avoid the danger of getting diabetes as a consequence of too much sickly sweet goo. intake. The premise was very noble - disfigured kid struggles heroically against bullying on starting school - but this was a paint by numbers narrative in which no turmoil was to big to overcome and life turned out ok in the end. I'm sure there's a time and a place for this, but I felt compelled to follow it up with the horror film 'Hereditary' just to cleanse my palate.

Brutal, brilliantly acted, beautiful cinematography, this is an engrossing and disturbing film. Well worth watching for those

with strong stomachs.

Superb acting and a sociologically fascinating portrait of underprivileged families living within proximity of the dream factory Disneyworld, seen mostly from the perspective of the children. Problem was that the slow burn mounting depression and despair that the film portrayed became something of an endurance test. I can understand why the critics liked this one so much - it is different - but I like to be entertained during my down time.

An interesting and sensitive exploration of Borg's struggles off and occasionally on the court, revolving around his first showdown with McEnroe. The film is well edited, with good use of flashbacks, and builds tension effectively. While the figure of Borg is presented with more nuance than that of McEnroe, this is still an entertaining sports pic that ultimately stimulates sympathy for both characters. Brought back memories of the original match, and myself and family thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is one of may favourite films of all time. Atmospheric, tense (and based on a novel which is well worth reading in its own right) and containing one of Rourke's best performances, a must-see for film fans (other than the very squeamish!).

It's difficult to know where to start other than to say 'don't waste your time'. The script is awful, the acting wooden and the plot

takes too long to get going and revolves around every increasing degrees of sadistic violence. What's more, it is just plain boring.

Mixing archive footage with the dramatised recreation of a key event during the 1960s riots in Detroit, this is a first rate albeit brutal film. Superbly acted, with a tension that grows steadily during the film, watching this was a gripping experience. Thoroughly recommended.

The first 40 mins or so focus on the origin story of Wonder Woman and this is done exceptionally well with great special effects and

an interesting backdrop to all the action that follows. After we found it dragged a little as it moved its way to the inevitable (and overlong) fight scenes in which WW confronts her nemesis. Given all the great reviews this film had, we were a little disappointed but to be fair to the film there's only so much that it can do within the genre. If you're into superhero films then I suspect it will satisfy. If ambivalent about them, then you may possibly end up with the same mixed feelings.