THE BIG SCREEN
FILM CRITIC PAUL GREENWOOD’S GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON
****
STILL ALICE
(12A, 101 mins) A woman’s struggle with early onset Alzheimer’s and how it affects her and her family is chronicled in this subtly told and very moving drama. Julianne Moore won an Oscar for her powerful performance that avoids being overly dramatic but remains quietly heartbreaking. KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE (15, 129 mins) Colin Firth is the supersuave secret agent who recruits a young tearaway to his Kingsman spy organisation to battle against Samuel L. Jackson’s villain in this rollicking action comedy from Glasgow comic writer Mark Millar. It’s outrageously violent, darkly funny and hugely entertaining.
PADDINGTON
(PG, 95 mins) Paddington leaves Peru and is adopted by a London family. It’s funny, warm-hearted and packed with great jokes and pointed social commentary, and the result is the best family film in some time.
***
HOME (U, 94 mins)
Dreamworks’ animation about an alien race who colonise Earth features the voices of Jim Parsons and Rihanna as alien Oh and human girl Tip who must work together when an enemy threatens the planet. Though far from a classic, with a thin story that could use some work, this is bright and fun thanks mostly to the wellcast Parsons.
RUN ALL NIGHT
(15, 114 mins) There’s an admirable amount of depth to the characters and themes in this crunching action thriller, as mob hitman Liam Neeson and his son go on the run after killing a gangster’s son. Even though it bites off a little more than it chew, and often reverts to type, it’s a cut above the usual Neeson fare of late and the action is strong.
SUITE FRANCAISE
(15, 107 mins) In a small town near Paris in the early days of the German invasion, a French woman (Michelle Williams) and a German officer (Matthias Schoenaerts) fall for each other while the town is occupied. This well acted drama works better as a depiction of the effects of the war on the locals than as a romance, but the two elements blend well.
THE SECOND BEST
EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (PG, 122 mins) Most of the cast of the smash hit first film return as Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and the rest refuse to let age be a barrier as they enjoy life in bustling Jaipur. It’s pleasant stuff, not quite up there with the first in terms of poignancy or laughs while, despite all the great players, Dev Patel as the excitable hotel owner steals the show.
IT FOLLOWS
(15, 107 mins) Heavily influenced by Halloween and Japanese horror, this solid chiller features a neat premise where an attacker visible only to the victim can only be evaded by passing it on through sex. But though the themes and metaphors are commendable, it only very occasionally works as a properly effective horror.
BIG HERO 6
(PG, 108 mins) When his older brother is killed, teenager Hiro teams up with robot Baymax and four friends to track down the shadowy figure responsible for his death in this whizzy and funny animated tale.
** THE GUNMAN (15, 115 mins)
Sean Penn’s retired mercenary finds his violent past coming back to haunt him in this dour and turgid thriller also featuring Javier Bardem. There are a couple of decent action scenes, but they can’t save a preachy and worthy movie that aims for respect- ability but is in fact no better than your average Liam Neeson or Jason Statham effort.
THE VOICES (15, 104 mins)
A friendly factory worker (Ryan Reynolds) hears voices and hides a murderous secret while pursuing colleagues Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick in this uneven comedy thriller. It’s all very well making a dark comedy about a serial killer, but it needs to be a lot funnier than what’s been achieved here.
FOCUS (15, 105 mins)
Will Smith leads a group of thieves and con artists while trying to teach the ropes to new recruit Margot Robbie in this much too mechanical con caper. It’s slick, sometimes entertaining, but always trying to hoodwink you, and it’s hard to shake off the feeling that it has its hand in your pocket the whole time.
THE WEDDING RINGER
(15, 101 mins) When a groom (Josh Gad) realises he has no friends, he hires Kevin Hart to pretend to be his best man in this loud, irritating and stupid comedy. Without any real purpose to the narrative, it just bounces along from scene to scene.