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Cannes 2013: Blind Detective Review
10 hours ago
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
In the grand scheme of things in the detective procedural genre, the idea of a blind detective who relies on his other heightened senses, and an almost mystical sixth sense that allows him to relive crimes like a method actor doesn’t sound all that odd. So the revelation that Johnnie To’s quirky cop project is in fact a ribald comedy that pokes fun in liberal doses actually came as something of a surprise.
The film stars Hong Kong superstars Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng, in their seventh collaboration, as an unlikely detective duo – him blind and prone to clumsiness (at times it feels like we’re being invited to laugh at his misfortune a touch too much) and her a besotted sidekick with promising skills who acts as his foil and his aide. She employs him to help her find a missing childhood friend, »
- Simon Gallagher
Cannes 2013: Inside Llewyn Davis Review
11 hours ago
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
It’s taken Oscar Isaac a fair old while to get to top billing, having shone in a number of roles, including in Drive, and survived the obligatory backwards steps (like with W.E.) but it has fallen to the Coens to throw him his big opportunity in their return to directing following the regrettable association with Gambit (it was of course only the script they took charge of.)
In Inside Llewyn Davis, Isaac plays the titular hero, a loosely adapted version of the folk musician Dave Van Ronk, whose memoir “The Mayor Of MacDougal Street” gives the Coens a lot of their narrative frame. Set over two weeks in 1961, the film portrays New York’s folk-rock scene of the period, specifically focusing on the life and work at the time of Dylan-lite singer-songwriter Llewyn Davis, as he aims to make it on the scene and bounces »
- Simon Gallagher
Cannes 2013: Ain’t Them Bodies Saints Review
12 hours ago
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
There’s something very familiar about David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. The writer-director himself might twitch few ears in recognition, after his most recent work, the largely unheralded duo of Lullaby and St. Nick, but in the bones of his latest, which played as part of Critic’s Week here, is the genetics of familiar art. There is almost certainly a major nod here to Badlands, as well as Thieves Like Us, and more generally speaking, Lowery seems intent on re-exploring the essence of that particular period of outlaw movies.
Saints begins with a shoot-out, involving Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara,) who are subsequently hauled away. Muldoon is arrested, but the pregnant Guthrie is let go, to live in a comfortable house in a small Texan town called Meridian looked after by the excellent Keith Carradine. We’re not »
- Simon Gallagher
Cannes 2013: Shield Of Straw Review
12 hours ago
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Takeshi Miike is another name that seems to have become associated with Cannes a lot in the past few years. In many ways he has cut a familiar and reliable figure: you know what you’re getting with the barmpot director with a penchant for extreme violence and black humour. Or at least, that used to be the case.
2011′s Hara-Kiri wasn’t exactly the explosive affair we might have expected, offering an almost tender look at a post-Samurai world, effused with emotion and driven by human relationships, and there wasn’t the usual commitment to silliness that Miike usually slathers on his work. The reason that film springs to mind here is that Miike has once again been playing with expectations: rather than the zany action we’re used to, played against a backdrop of a smiling Miike, winking at the camera, the director has gone, »
- Simon Gallagher
Aquaman, Volume 2: The Others Review – Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis
12 hours ago
Arthur Curry is Aquaman, the grumpiest mermaid ever, who returns for a second outing in The Others in what is his weakest and most forgettable adventure yet. A villain called Black Manta is killing Aquaman’s old friends collectively known as The Others, the group he belonged to before joining the Justice League, and stealing the sources of their power which happen to be relics of Atlantis. Aquaman, Mera and the Others must regroup to defeat Black Manta and stop him from getting the powerful instrument that sank Atlantis back to his mysterious employer…
The biggest and most insurmountable problem with this book (and with many of DC’s New 52 books) is the complete laziness of DC to fully commit to each series being a reboot, as they’re supposed to be. If you reboot a character and a series then you have to reintroduce all of the characters and »
- Noel Thorne
Before GTA V: A Look Back At Max Payne 3
14 hours ago
In my opinion, Max Payne 3 is Rockstar’s best game. It eclipses even Grand Theft Auto IV in every way, from technology, to gameplay to the story line. Every thing about Max Payne 3 oozed Rockstar, from the attention to detail to America-poking writing to the maturity. It’s all trademark Rockstar, and it’s there in spades. So let’s take a look at why Max Payne 3 is so great, and how it will affect GTA V.
Rockstar spent an enormous amount of money on Max Payne 3. How much? Estimated at $105 million. Yes, more than the budget of their own GTA IV. And every dollar spent shines through in the game. Rockstar is known to spend massive amounts of money (and get even larger sums of money back, to be fair), and this dedication shows through in the game.
Nobody does detail quite like Rockstar. From Max’s suit crinkling as he runs, »
- Ryan Musker
5 Things You May Not Have Known About Benedict Cumberbatch
15 hours ago
We love Benedict Cumberbatch over here in England. Well, not everyone, but the vast majority of people I know love the man. Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch has been on our radars for years over in the UK, but it has only been recently that he has started to explode on the international stage.
Sherlock was a big milestone in his career and his turn as Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous character has caught the eye of many around the world, and rightfully so. Cumberbatch owns the part and I don’t think too many would argue that he eclipses the people’s favorite Robert Downey Jnr.’s take on the character. That is no mean feat. The people love Downey Jr..
However, while wider audiences certainly may know him from from the Moffat’s Sherlock, it is nothing compared to the massive explosion of popularity he just had in Star Trek Into Darkness. »
- Patrick Dane
10 Movies That Made Shocking Genre Shifts Halfway Through
15 hours ago
It’s hard to imagine how shocking Psycho‘s mid-point switcharoo must have been back in 1960, especially when you consider that audiences hadn’t even seen a flushing toilet on the big screen at that point in history (we’ve come a long way, I know). Nowadays, Psycho‘s unexpected shift – which actually takes place 47 minutes in – seems like old hat: not because it isn’t surprising or revolutionary, but because we know it so well.
In wake of what is arguably the finest example of a “shocking tone shift,” directors have experimented with the idea of changing things up a fair way into their movies with varying degrees of success. Unexpectedly taking your picture into a direction that audiences would have never imagined possible so far into in movie is risky business: there’s a chance that movie-goers won’t buy it, given how they’ve spent nearly an »
- T.J. Barnard
Man Utd Transfer News: Monaco Latest Club To Eye Up Wayne Rooney
16 hours ago
Monaco have become the latest club to show an interest in Manchester United’s want-away striker Wayne Rooney, according to the Daily Star.
The ambitious French club have just been promoted back into Ligue 1 this season and, bankrolled by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, seek to make an impact next season by adding Rooney to a shortlist of transfer targets.
That could create the ironic scenario of Rooney playing under Roberto Mancini next season.
Manchester City had been interested in the England star, but Mancini could lure him to Monaco instead and get one over on his former employers – if he is named as the successor to Claudio Ranieri as manager.
Monaco are just the latest in a series of clubs to have kept their eyes on Rooney’s current situation.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have all also shown an interest in the £25 million-rated forward, who has put in a »
- Joseph Dempsey
Arsenal Transfers: 5 Players Arsene Wenger Could Spend His £70 Million On
17 hours ago
Yesterday, Arsenal fans witnessed their side dramatically clinch 4th place in the Barclay’s Premier League and with it Champions League qualification for the 16th consecutive time under manager Arsene Wenger.
Though the wild scenes of celebration that ensued thereafter were merited, one might have been forgiven for thinking they had just won the league rather than been named fourth best in the division.
The simple fact of the matter is it has now been 7 years, 11 months, 28 days, 18 hours and 14 minutes at the time of writing since Arsenal last won a trophy, and that drought will have stretched into an eighth year by the time the Premier League gets back underway come August.
It’s a tremendous amount of time for any top 4 club to go without claiming any silverware, let alone for a club of the stature of Arsenal, who were once rather accustomed to winning the league title. »
- Joseph Dempsey
Chelsea Transfer News: Andre Schurlle “Hopeful” Over Blues Move
19 hours ago
Bayer Leverkusen striker Andre Schurlle remains “hopeful” over his proposed move to Chelsea this summer, and believes he has played his last game for the German side, write Sky Sports.
The 22-year old has scored 14 times for his club this season and has been widely tipped to complete the formalities of his move to Stamford Bridge within the next few weeks.
However, the switch could yet hinge on Blues’ youngster Kevin De Bruyne, who the Europa League champions are hoping to use as part of a makeweight in the deal.
The Belgian had been lined up by Chelsea for a part-exchange offering, with Leverkusen said to be keen on his services having been impressed by his performances during his loan stint at Bundesliga side Werder Bremen this season.
But the youngster is now believed to have set his heart on a move to Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund instead, which »
- Joseph Dempsey
6 Famous Movies That Would Make Awesome TV Shows
20 hours ago
Movies based on comic books, books based on movies, albums based on TV shows, TV shows based on movies based on TV shows… the possibilities only get more confusing from there. The world thrives on media that takes them out of their head for a few hours or a couple seasons, but with TV quickly overtaking film as the core entertainment market, a symbiosis between the two is increasingly necessary.
Trying to transfer a two-hour film into a multi-season moneymaking machine definitely has its list of perks, most importantly, an already fully-realized brand. The key to success here is to choose a film with a very strong story or character that can be taken in almost any direction.
We’ve seen a lot of great examples of this over the years: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Friday Night Lights, Teen Wolf, Nikita, and Clueless. But we’ve also come across some »
- Jake Morris
GTA V: Multiplayer Reveal & New Info Coming This Week?
20 hours ago
Three days after releasing 5 new screenshots, are Rockstar Games about to unleash yet more information regarding their fervently anticipated Grand Theft Auto V?
According to Gamepur, a lucky few from the Russian gaming press have been invited to attend the supposed showing of a gameplay demo this Thursday, May 23.
The invitation (above) reads (Translated):
“Rockstar Games Presents Exclusive demonstration The date: 23 May 2013 15.00-19.00 The Apartment Restaurant Please confirm your attendance at the event. Seats are limited. Please note: This demonstration is strictly confidential and is intended only for your eyes. Refrain from audio and video throughout the event, the use of any electronic means is prohibited.”
The authenticity of said invitation is of course debatable but according to the report is a legitimate one. It would seem to tie in with Rockstar’s claims via their official website last week that their brand new approach to “open-world multiplayer” will be revealed soon. »
- Joseph Dempsey
New Batman Movie: 10 Actresses Who Could Play Harley Quinn
20 hours ago
Among Batman’s illustrious rogues gallery, one villain who has yet to appear in a live action film is the Joker’s girlfriend and sidekick, Harley Quinn. Harley is notable for not originating in the comics but in Batman: The Animated Series. She first appeared in the 1992 episode “Joker’s Favor.”
Her origin story was then told in comic book form in the story Mad Love, written by Paul Dini and drawn by Bruce Timm, two of the animated series’ producers. We learn that Harley was formally a Arkham Asylum psychiatrist named Harleen Quinzel who fell in love with the Joker and eventually became his partner in crime. While some may feel Harley is too goofy a character to work in a serious Batman film I feel see is one of the most psychologically interesting characters in the Batman mythology.
All you have to do is read Mad Love and »
- Andrew Edward Davies
Chelsea Transfers: 5 World Class Replacements For Fernando Torres
20 hours ago
Ever since his £50 million move to Chelsea from Liverpool in January 2011, it is fair to say Fernando Torres has been a flop.
The goal-laden days enjoyed during his time at Anfield have only rarely looked like being replicated at Stamford Bridge and in his first full season at the club he only managed to strike six league goals for the West London side.
Though admittedly he has managed to find the back of the net 23 times this season, do not be fooled – this has been a campaign to forget for the Spaniard.
Overall, Torres has 34 goals in 130 outing for Chelsea. That equals more than £2 million-per-goal when you add his £22 million salary to the £50 million transfer fee.
And though he scored the crucial winner against Everton yesterday, that strike was his first goal in 2013.
It is little wonder then that the Blues are prepared to listen to offers for the stuttering star, »
- Joseph Dempsey
5 Acting Performances That Defied The Years
21 hours ago
An actor’s career can be a curious thing; after years of training and honing their craft they may well reach the Hollywood elite, the A-list, only to see it all go up in smoke in an instant. It has happened before and it will happen again. Though some such as Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks stand the test of time by staying true to their talent-yet diversifying their roles as they age, for some reason or another, others simply cannot do the same. Be it through personal problems, a poor choice of roles, typecasting or being dismissed by the industry, many actors see their stars fade as the audience moves towards a younger generation.
For the majority this loss of status is irrevocable; acting is a large medium and for most there will be work that they can find but they will never regain the stature they once had, »
- Matt Martindale
Star Trek: How Jj Abrams Plunged The Franchise Into Darkness
21 hours ago
If 2009′s Star Trek reboot didn’t drive a stake through the heart of this long loved franchise, Into Darkness certainly finished off the job with all the subtlety of a castrated bull frustratedly ploughing through a field full of the sexiest cows he’s ever seen. Don’t get me wrong: if you were simply looking for an action/adventure epic and you don’t care what transwarp beaming is, then you will most likely enjoy this movie. However, the smile on your face as you exit the cinema will most likely have Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek’s original creator) not only spinning in his grave, but reaching out of it with his withered claw just hoping there’s an ankle nearby.
Maybe I’m being a bit harsh given that team Abrams have very little interest in impressing nerds like me who learned what a warp core was before hitting puberty. »
- Neil Cochrane
5 Movie Duos Who Need To Stop Working Together
21 hours ago
Actor/director collaborations have been behind some of the most respected and revered works to come out of Hollywood. For a select few, the meeting of the minds between a director’s ambition and an actor’s execution can be cinematic gold – for others it can quickly become out-dated, obsolete and just plain boring.
There are those who – for lack of a better analogy – need to stop working altogether (Adam Sandler and Dennis Dugan come to mind) and then there are those who were once capable of greatness but have since faded to insignificance. These aren’t bad filmmaker’s per se; rather talented individuals guilty of resting on their laurels and creating redundant films, perhaps.
Here are the top 5 movie duos who – for the sake of their careers – need to stop working together…
5. Larry Charles & Sacha Baron Cohen
The Charles/ Cohen partnership started well enough with the amusing Borat »
- Ollie Poppert
10 Forgotten Classic Cartoons That Need To Return
21 hours ago
There’s a lot on the plate of today’s cartoon junkie; the modern range of offerings means that, really, one is spoiled for choice a lot of the time. However, does this jostling for our precious viewing time take in to consideration the quality of what is being served? Does the presentation step beyond a desire to sell an audience toys? Is there a certain something that will stick in the mind, genuinely reflecting and yet effectively parodying? Is there meaning or worth beyond the prima facie presentation?
These are questions that bear analysis, should an individual desire to derive a multilayered satisfaction from their enjoyment. It’s great to sit and watch animation, but it’s even better to share it with others, on an understanding that there are strong reasons why the thing you’re watching is a perennial favourite that weathers repeat viewings.
Which raises another »
- Simon Westgarth
Man City Transfer News: Juventus Join Race For Carlos Tevez
22 hours ago
Juventus have joined Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco in the race for Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, according to the Mirror.
The Serie A winners have also identified Real Madrid’s out-of-favour Gonzalo Higuain as a potential target as The Old Lady plot an assault on the Champions League next season.
However, the club’s sporting director Beppe Marotta said of the two players:
“I have to say that Higuain is a bit younger and has a higher market value. Tevez on the other hand has a year left on his contract so maybe between the two, the Tevez deal is easier.”
With Tevez out of contract in 2014, along with the uncertainty currently surrounding the Etihad as to who the new manager will be, the Argentinian could be tempted into a move to Italy and has always longed for a move away from the Premier League.
Marotta continued:
“We are not »
- Joseph Dempsey
1-20 of 24 items « Prev | Next »
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