Movie reviews of Bob Mann

The movie’s not a complete bust, but neither is it a Christie classic. Review

Both intelligent and moving, its black humour maintains interest throughout. Review

It actually has some good acting from Bradley, Wilson and (particularly) Halle Berry. But the lines they have to say, and the ridiculous context they have to say them in, makes their po-faced acting all the more hilarious. Review

Sometimes a “good indie film” can just be plain dull, and for me unfortunately this was one such film. Review

I saw it as a free-wheeling, controversial, chaotic mess of a movie where this is – for once – in a good way. Review

This movie was clunking along, in my opinion, at around the 2.5 stars level for most of its running time. As Douglas Adams would have put it, it was “mostly harmless”. Its ace-in-the-hole was the bizarre historical event that comprises the finale of the movie: an event that caused something irritating to get in my eye and an unexplained lump develop in my throat. Review

Ask for my list of top-tier British actresses of the day and both Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley would be on it. Throw in Ed Harris and you have an acting masterclass. The movie is great in showcasing their talents. And Maggie Gyllenhaal’s script and direction is nothing if not thought-provoking. Review

Jane Campion’s movie didn’t look good to me on paper but was a mesmerising watch. Review

But that ending soured the Bilk (sic) and dragged me back from that position. It’s still a really interesting and engaging movie, and one I would recommend you see. Review

I found this slow and as a result a bit dull. It’s far from being the worst film I’ll see this year, but it will be short in my memory. Review

The movie is simply pitch-perfect in viewing Buddy’s confusion in moving from his idyllic childhood into the harsher realities of life in a tumultuous time and place in history. Branagh’s script sizzles with authenticity and contains the perfect balance of touching and laugh-out-loud moments. Review

Although I’m not a great horror fan, I thought this one was great fun. I had a goofy grin on my face for most of the running time. Review

It was a dreary rainy Tuesday night and the movie filled a need for a cosy night at the cinema. It wasn’t terrible. But it won’t win any awards either. Review

A rip-roaring ‘boys-own’ adventure, wrapped around real historical events in the 1910’s, this was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be. Review

I can normally look for at least some good in any movie. But this one was really a waste of celluloid. Review

The stellar cast all give it their all (although I personally didn’t think that DiCaprio is quite as adept at this type of comedy as the other cast members). Review

As a musical, it’s glorious to look at with great songs and spectacular, colourful dance numbers. And at times the virtuosity of the Spielberg/Kaminski combination makes some of the scenes simply soar. But did it fully absorb me for the whole of its nearly 160-minutes run time? No, not quite. Review

This was a genuine surprise of a movie for me. I thought it was moving, delightful, engaging, well-made and had great tunes. Highly recommended. Review

Just writing out the “Plot Summary” above made me gasp again at the crassness of this movie. It’s just so utterly nonsensical and distateful. Review

It’s popcorn nonsense. It won’t win any major awards. But it is extremely well done. I enjoyed it a lot. Review

A wonderfully entertaining Christmas blockbuster that is just the shot in the arm (no, not that sort) that the movie business needed. Great fun, and highly recommended. Review

And it has its moments for sure. But this is not a movie that I will be in a hurry to revisit, since the accents and some of the performances are not ones that I thought worthy of the potential that the movie had. Review

Kids who’ve had the original two films foisted on them by dewy-eyed parents/grandparents of a certain age will no doubt love this one, focusing as it does on more of a teen demographic that they can relate to. And it’s perfectly watchable. But it really didn’t set my movie world on fire the way that I hoped it might. Review

It’s the acting and the cinematography that sets this apart for me. Although it had its irritations, I found this to be a beautiful and engaging watch. The story is perhaps a tad predictable. But overall this is a nicely crafted and thought-provoking film that gets a thumbs up from me. Review