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.
Category: DVD & Digital
Reviews of the latest UK DVD & Digital releases.
DVD review: Baby Driver
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.
DVD review: England is Mine
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.
DVD review: Double Date
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.
DVD review: Song to Song
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.
DVD review: The Oath (Eiðurinn)
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.
Film review: Becoming Cary Grant
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.
DVD review: Bad Day for the Cut
Chris Baugh writes and directs his feature debut Bad Day for the Cut, a revenge thriller set in Northern Ireland. The plot follows middle-aged farmer Donal (Nigel O’Neill) who lives a quiet, unadventurous life with his mother Florence (Stella McCusker), spending his days working and his evenings supping real ale down the pub. One night, their home is broken into and his mother is brutally murdered. Donal spots one of the assailants getting away whom he refers to as ‘a fancy looking sorta boy’ and after a couple of thugs return a few days later to kill him too, he is forced to take matters into her own hands to avenge her death.
Film review: Where is Kyra?
Following a four-year hiatus, Michelle Pfeiffer makes her acting return taking the titular role in Andrew Dosunmu’s slow-burning drama Where is Kyra? Poverty-stricken Kyra lives in Brooklyn with her elderly ailing mother Ruth (Suzanne Shepherd) and struggles to make ends meet as she hunts for a job. After suffering a loss, she drowns her sorrows in the local drinking den where she meets lowly caretaker Doug (Kiefer Sutherland). The pair make a connection, bonding over their hardship, but Kyra’s desperate need for cash soon leads her to take a treacherous risk.
DVD review: Baywatch
Just in time for summer, the hit nineties television show Baywatch has been given the cinematic treatment. Directed by Seth Gordon, the modern-day reimagining stars Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as Lieutenant Mitch Buchannon, chief lifeguard at Emerald Bay, Florida. Along with his loyal team that includes Stephanie (Ilfenesh Hadera) and C.J. (Kelly Rohrbach), they run try-outs to find three new members and when disgraced Olympic swimmer Matt Brody (Zac Efron) signs up, cocky and full of confidence, he thinks he’s in for an easy ride. Before long, some dangerous criminal activity is discovered in the area, and the gang must come up with a plan to protect the bay.
Cinema Perspective 