SICKNESS HEALTH
LIAM NEESON AND LESLEY MANVILLE WILL BREAK YOUR HEART AS HUSBAND AND WIFE CONTENDING WITH CANCER
(15)
IDENTITY, corruption and politics are themes at the heart of this crime thriller starring Edward Norton, who also writes, directs and produces.
It has taken the Fight Club star 20 years to bring his passion project – based on Jonathan Lethem’s 1999 novel of the same name – to our screens, scrapping the original late-90s setting in favour of the 1950s.
Lionel Essrog (Norton) is an orphaned kid growing up in Brooklyn who is taken under the wing of private detective Frank Minna (Bruce Willis).
A lonely figure with (U)
IN 1969, Nasa scientist David (voiced by director Ben Smith) chooses his own dog Buddy (Nick Frost) as the test subject for an experimental capsule powered by crystalline hyperlithium.
Shortly after the capsule leaves Earth’s orbit, there is a malfunction and Buddy drifts into the void, frozen by the effects of the purple power source.
Fifty years later, Buddy thaws out in the town of Glenfield, where homeless creatures are ruthlessly
Tourette’s syndrome, Lionel doesn’t let his condition stand in the way of his job. When Minna dies on a job, Lionel takes it upon himself to find out what happened – resulting in a deep dive into troubling political issues across the city. Along the way, he meets community activist Laura (Gugu Mbatha-Raw).
However, when Lionel unravels closely guarded secrets about Randolph – the most powerful man in the city – Laura is left in serious danger.
Norton’s striking, meticulous performance is the film’s greatest strength. ■ Review by Georgia Humphreys. hunted by police officer Peck (Cory English).
“He locks them up in the pound and they are never seen again,” explains sardonic cat Felix (Luke Evans), who leads a double life as a caped crusader.
Buddy pleads with Felix to help him locate the missing capsule so he can be reunited with David.
The search leads to the Glenville Underground Animal Rights Division, run by liberated magician’s bunny, Cassidy (Gemma Arterton).
StarDog And TurboCat is a hit-and-miss computergenerated caper.
LESLEY MANVILLE and Liam Neeson deliver compelling performances as a married couple in turmoil in Lisa Barros D’Sa and
Glenn Leyburn’s intimate drama based on a script by Northern Irish playwright Owen McCafferty.
Tracing a familiar narrative arc, Ordinary Love elegantly captures the minutiae of daily life for a husband and wife who fondly accept each other’s foibles and find comfort in the easy silences that punctuate their domestic routine.
Lasting affection resonates in moments of the mundane – her saucy addition to a soup recipe, a blushing apology when a weak bladder delays an important meeting, or a seemingly benign conversation about his fruit and vegetable intake during a weekly visit to the supermarket.
“Are we having an argument about the frequency I use a juicer we don’t own?” Neeson playfully scolds his spouse.
The opening 15 minutes of McCafferty’s gently paced script encourage us to cosy up to the lead characters in their suburban bubble before giant ripples from a cancer diagnosis test the strength of marital bonds.
The lead actors are handsomely matched and share a delightful on-screen chemistry that compels us to stand hopefully beside their long-time lovebirds through chemotherapy and the inevitable squabbles borne of crippling fear and frustration.
When Manville mournfully observes “We’re all just really on our own”, rows of hearts will surely break.
Middle-aged Joan (Manville) and Tom (Neeson) have slowly come to terms with the death of their daughter Debbie and have settled back into a routine under their cloud of grief.
They make regular pilgrimages to the grave and keep fit by walking along a busy road, using one particular tree as a