Get this – Matthew McConaughey went from lousy rom-coms, like Ghost of Girlfriends Past, to starring in some of the best films of recent times, like Interstellar. He’s become an actor with so many shades, it’s hard to keep track. Dallas Buyers Club was key to McConaughey’s transition away from comedic roles, with many dubbing his change “The McConaissance”. […]
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So, why do we remember Jackie Kennedy? The mention of her name doesn’t mean that much to me, because she was around before my time, just like many of you reading this. It only takes a quick look at the past to see what an inspirational and iconic figure she was. But I’ll skip the history […]
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This is another film that combines personal conflict with tough fighting in the ring. Actor and screenwriter, Johnny Harris plays Jawbone’s main character, Jimmy McCabe. He based this boxing-drama on his own experience as a homeless ex-boxer in London. As much as I think boxing films are overdone, I keep being drawn back to this genre. It’s […]
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Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) makes bank robbery look like a walk in the park in The Place Beyond The Pines. Motorcycle stuntman by trade, violent criminal by nature, Gosling’s Luke is a classic anti-hero: you root for him, but you know you shouldn’t. This tattooed, chain-smoking biker discovers he’s the father of two-year-old Jason, son of […]
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A wrestling movie that’s not really about wrestling… Streaming now on Netflix, this is an excellent drama, directed by Darren Aronofsky. Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is a pro wrestler, who’s way past his prime. He was a star in the ’80s, but now he’s small-time, only featuring in a handful of matches. He […]
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I’d be lying if I said We Need To Talk About Kevin, is about an innocent boy who grows up to be a tragic villain, like Anakin Skywalker, from the Star Wars prequels. Truth is, Kevin is a monster from the start. He’s presented as a devil child, an omen, a bad seed – you get the picture. […]
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This festive-themed road movie, Hector has the spirit of Ken Loach hanging over it. It’s a social realist drama with Peter Mullan at the centre. He plays the titular Hector, a homeless man from Glasgow, seeking to reconnect with his family. I stumbled across this low budget British film on Netflix and I thoroughly enjoyed the warmth […]
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Is Requiem for a Dream the most depressing film ever? It has to rank up there. Seriously, this film is so bleak and hopeless that I would rather watch a dozen cheesy romantic-comedies one after the other, then see Requiem for a Dream ever again. This isn’t to say that I didn’t think it was any good. In fact, […]
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“Wondering if you’re happy is a great shortcut to being depressed,” is a genius line said by Annette Benning’s Dorothea, in 20th Century Women. You can take this quote how you want, but I see it as the perfect anecdote for this film. Set in the 1970s, 20th Century Women isn’t about anything specific. This […]
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Rock bottom. Chances are you’ve heard that phrase a time or two in your life. I hope you’ve never been there or experienced anything like the struggles of punk rocker and writer, Jim Carroll. A talented but misguided individual he was, The Basketball Diaries chronicles his teenage years when he went from basketball star to […]
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There is arguably no point in making boxing movies anymore. While the sport is still the best suited for the big-screen, there’s nothing new to be found in this overcrowded genre. But when has originality ever been a prerequisite for entertainment? Sometimes you can skew over originality in a film, as long as there’s a […]
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Short Term 12 is so authentic, life-affirming, and grounded in reality that it genuinely makes you feel the power of its message. Rarely can a film be a truthful understatement, tell a profound story, devastate you and lift your spirits all at the same time. For me, the film is a stroke of genius, a […]
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