Author: Garry Arnot

DVD & Digital

DVD review: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

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valerian

Veteran filmmaker Luc Besson certainly has a vivid imagination, and is associated with French 1980s movement ‘Cinéma du look’ which is said to favour style over substance. His latest feature is sci-fi space opera Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and it’s arguably his most visually daring project to date. Based on a comic-strip series devised by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières, the story follows operatives Major Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Sergeant Laureline (Cara Delevingne) who are tasked with protecting the universe around 700 years in the future. When their peaceful city of Alpha comes under attack from a mysterious life form, they team up with commander Arün Filitt (Clive Owen) to neutralise the dangerous threat.

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DVD & Digital

DVD review: Dunkirk

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Visionary filmmaker Christopher Nolan has carved a career out of writing and directing imaginative movies, telling mind-bending tales in a way that only he can. His latest feature marks a departure of sorts as he turns his attention to World War II for action-drama Dunkirk, telling the story of the Operation Dynamo evacuation in 1940. As Allied soldiers including Tommy (Fionn Whitehead), Gibson (Aneurin Barnard) and Alex (Harry Styles) are trapped on the beach to await their fate from surrounding Nazi forces, fighter pilots Farrier (Tom Hardy) and Collins (Jack Lowden) provide cover from the skies. Meanwhile, mariner Mr Dawson (Mark Rylance) along with son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) and his friend George (Barry Keoghan) embark on a brave civilian rescue mission.

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DVD & Digital

DVD review: War for the Planet of the Apes

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The modern Apes trilogy has spanned six years and following the Rise and Dawn comes War for the Planet of the Apes, the third and final instalment directed and co-written by Matt Reeves. The story is picked up as leader of the apes Caesar (Andy Serkis) is hiding out in the woods with his wife Cornelia (Judy Greer), his wise orangutan adviser Maurice (Karin Konoval) and the rest of his tribe. After coming under an unprovoked attack, he offers a truce to the merciless Colonel (Woody Harrelson), a soldier that vows to wipe out the apes once and for all. However, when the call for peace is not reciprocated, a brutal battle for survival ensues.

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DVD & Digital

DVD review: All Eyez on Me

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Hip hop can often be thought of as an autobiographical artform, with rappers telling snippets of their life stories through their songs. In recent years, many of them have had their accounts immortalised on-screen and with crime biopic All Eyez on Me, director Benny Boom is giving the cinematic treatment to Tupac Shakur, perhaps the most controversial rap artist of them all. The plot retells his do-rags to riches tale from his turbulent childhood through to his infamous East Coast-West Coast rivalry with friend turned foe Notorious B.I.G.

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DVD & Digital

DVD review: Baby Driver

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British writer and director Edgar Wright burst onto the cinema scene after the success of a celebrated sitcom at the turn of the millennium, and he hasn’t looked back since, now making movies across the Atlantic stamped with his signature style. His latest feature is crime caper Baby Driver and it’s probably his biggest production to date. The plot centres around title character Baby (Ansel Elgort) who works as a getaway driver for Doc (Kevin Spacey), a cunning heist mastermind with a penchant for violence. At a local diner, he kindles a romance with waitress Debora (Lily James), and the pair plan to set off on a road trip together; that is of course, after he carries out one last job for his kingpin boss.

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DVD review: England is Mine

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Stephen Patrick Morrissey broke into the Manchester music scene in the 1980s and through his time as the frontman of seminal band The Smiths as well as a lengthy solo career, he has grown to become an icon of British indie culture. Director Mark Gill brings a portion of his story to the big screen with coming-of-age drama England is Mine, which sees rising star Jack Lowden play a young Morrissey as he struggles to find his creative voice. After succumbing to the 9-to-5 rat race to work at the Inland Revenue, he meets local artist Linder Sterling (Jessica Brown Findlay) at a gig and becomes inspired to follow his passion.

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DVD & Digital

DVD review: Double Date

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double

Comedy is arguably the most subjective of all the film genres and can be tricky to get right at the best of times. Mix that with horror and it is even more of a challenge, which is exactly what filmmaker Benjamin Barfoot has embarked upon with his directorial debut Double Date. The plot follows hapless sap Jim (Danny Morgan) who, with the assistance of cocky pal Alex (Michael Socha) as his loyal wingman, hopes to lose his virginity before his 30th birthday. Their path crosses with sisters Kitty (Kelly Wenham) and Lulu (Georgia Groome), who have a dark ulterior motive.

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DVD review: Song to Song

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songtosong

Some directors can attract A-listers thanks to their previous collaborations, their industry reputation or by the way in which they make films. The acclaimed yet divisive Terrence Malick falls into this category and has pulled together Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Michael Fassbender and Natalie Portman to make up possibly the most star-studded cast in recent memory. His latest feature is romantic drama Song to Song, which unfolds against the backdrop of the music scene in Austin, Texas. At the centre of it all is Faye (Mara), a rising musician who embarks on a relationship with fellow performer BV (Gosling) but who is also seeing his manipulative producer Cook (Fassbender); hence a complicated love triangle ensues.

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DVD review: The Oath (Eiðurinn)

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When filmmakers possess a signature style that can be identified across their body of work, they are sometimes referred to as an auteur of cinema. It’s a term that might get banded around too frequently, but one that is often used when discussing Icelandic visionary Baltasar Kormákur. His latest feature is crime thriller The Oath, a personal project which he amazingly produces, directs, co-writes and stars in. The story follows family man heart surgeon Finnur (Kormákur) who tries to rescue his daughter Anna (Hera Hilmar) from her thuggish boyfriend Óttar (Gísli Örn Garðarsson) when she becomes entangled in his dangerous, criminal lifestyle.

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DVD & Digital

Film review: Becoming Cary Grant

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Cary Grant is very fondly remembered as a Hollywood icon but documentary filmmaker Mark Kidel scrapes away the Hollywood glitz and gloss to explore the man behind the movie star in Becoming Cary Grant. Adapted from an unpublished autobiography, we hear Grant’s fascinating story in his own words, with actor Jonathan Pryce reading excerpts to provide an enjoyable voice-over.

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