2017

GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN

Cert PG 107mins Stars 4

If you go down to 100 Acre wood today you’re in for a wonderful surprise.

This terrific family film explores how playwright A. A. Milne came to create his loveable honey loving bear, Winnie-the-Pooh.

Filmed in suitably honey coloured glow and melting with sweetness, this is a warm and sentimental homage to the author and his most famous creation.

Remaining hugely popular since being published in 1926, the stories were inspired by the writer’s son and his menagerie of stuffed animal toys.

Father and son have a humorous though sometimes fraught relationship which matures as the Second World War looms with a melancholy menace.

Having experienced the horrors of the Somme in the First World War, Milne retires to a farmhouse where struggling with writers block he begins spending time with his son, Christopher Robin.

He’s known to the family by the nickname Billy Moon, and young actor Will Tilston is a newly discovered treasure.

Domhnall Gleeson is his usual excellent self as the PTSD sufferer learning to be a father. You have to pinch yourself to remember he’s acting.

Plus he cuts a dash in his three piece suits and blonde Lawrence of Arabia hairstyle, and it must be a pleasant step up from his usual supporting roles.

Aussie actress Margot Robbie struggles to maintain a convincing accent as his society wife, Daphne. However she is otherwise excellent and game to be frequently unsympathetic.

100 Acre wood is an idyllic adventure playground and the film is a hymn to the stunning rural beauty of England. There are lovely touches of magical realism such as we saw in the recent adaptation of Paddington, which has a similar charm.

Grand claims about how the best selling books gave the whole nation a lift after the Great War must be taken with a measure of scepticism, as 1926 was also the year of the General Strike.

However we can forgive the scriptwriters for their indulgence when they serve up a treat as delightful as this.

 

 

DAPHNE

Cert 15 86mins Stars 3

Explore the life of a modern single woman in this low budget British drama which resembles Bridget Jones without the jokes. 

This ode to a multicultural world of pubs, cabs and kebabs, is far from a glossy tourist trap vision of London, but one reeking of urban isolation, 21st century angst.

Outwardly cynical and quietly vulnerable, middle class Daphne works in the kitchen of an artisan restaurant and reads philosophy in her spare time.

Quick witted and articulate she’s an entertainingly abrasive character and Emily Beecham’s strong central performance offers wonderful depth.

It’s a gift of a role, full of complexity and contradiction. Refreshingly success in life is not measured by finding a wealthy husband but in recognising her own self worth.

When she witnesses a stabbing, she begins to lose herself in alcohol, drugs and sexual encounters.

The episodic script is painfully matter of fact about her unsatisfactory life and provides plenty of black humour but too little joy or laughter.

 

CITY OF GHOSTS

Cert 18 Stars 5

This shocking documentary highlights the full extent of the medieval barbarity ISIS has inflicted on the populace of the Syrian city of Raqqa since 2011.

Easily the most harrowing film of the year, it’s a fascinating exploration of how the written word has been supplanted by smartphones and the internet as vehicles for political change.

Four ordinary men risk their lives by secretly filming the public beheadings, crucifixions and executions, all of which we witness here in graphic detail.

And the dignity, courage and faith demonstrated by the keyboard warriors will haunt you long after the final credits.

 

 

PECKING ORDER

Cert PG 88min Stars 3

Flock to this tasty New Zealand documentary which sheds a light on the drama of competitive chicken shows.

As in any beauty pageant the competitors are thoroughly groomed and fed on a diet of bird seed, though possibly with bigger servings than their human counterparts. Being plump here is encouraged.

It’s an increasingly tense affair as well seasoned veterans and raw youths of the Christchurch Poultry Club vie to knock the champ off their perch at the national show.

Plus there’s fowl play in the committee room where a battle between modernisers and traditionalists threatens the existence of 148-year-old club.

Feathers are ruffled as members scratch around for votes, and the simmering hotpot of politics are brought to boil with an attempted presidential coup.

Though the politics are vicious the enthusiasm for the show birds is endearing and the tone stays jolly throughout. This warm and affectionate portrait of semi-rural life offers a clucking good time for everyone.

BORG V MCENROE

Cert 15 107mins Stars 3

This biopic of two all time great tennis players is broad stroke stuff and serves up too few aces.

It centres on the 1980 Wimbledon final between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, played with admirable application by Sverrir Gudnason and Shia Labeouf.

Billed as as the ‘ice’ Borg versus Superbrat, it saw the reigning champ serving for a fifth consecutive title against his up and coming rival.

The Swede is wound so tight his psychological string may snap at any point while McEnroe is reduced to not much more than a greatest hits package of famous on-court rants. 

With the result never in doubt, the film explores the psychology of the sportsmen revealing surprising attitudes to playing the game.

As their extraordinary five set battle becomes an existential slog, their is no sense of joy in playing or even in winning.

So contrary to most sports films, this thought provoking victory seems a defeat for both men.

CANALETTO & THE ART OF VENICE

Cert U 87mins Stars 4

Explore her majesty’s private art collection with this documentary of the great 18th century Venetian landscape painter, Canaletto.

Perfect for those wanting an introduction his work and life, it’s based around a stunning public exhibition of his sketches, prints and paintings at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, which runs until November 12.

If you can’t get to London to see it, this is the next best thing.

Bursting with elements of everyday life, Canaletto’s glorious depictions of the city and its famous canals drove British tourism to the wealthy maritime city.

Canaletto’s agent Joseph Smith also happened to be the British Consul in Venice and the fascinating relationship between the two men is a great example of the conflicts which occur when art and commerce collide.

With an enjoyably conversational manner, curators and historians explain his significance and its historical context. The great artworks are photographed to their best advantage, and Venice is visited to remind us there is just one Canaletto.

KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

Cert 15 141mins Stars 1

If I hadn’t been so bored watching this cut-price James Bond rip off I would have hated it more.

It’s a horrible bully of a film which insists if you don’t laugh at it’s snobbish, boorish and misogynist humour, you’re the one at fault.

An over long sequel to 2015’s questionable espionage caper, it aims for bigger and brasher which only magnifies its many faults.

Having saved the world last time out Taron Egerton is back with his unconvincing cockney accent as Eggsy. He’s now a fully fledged operative of the secret Kingsman organisation, who are sworn to protect the power of the privileged and wealth .

Eggsy’s pompous mentor Harry Hart was supposedly killed off in the first film, and we have to suffer a laborious explanation for the return of Colin Firth’s brolly wielding agent.

An aristocrat who enjoys lecturing the working class on good manners while beating them up, Hart is incomprehensibly positioned as an aspirational figure.

Star names are roped in to pad out the cast list but poor Channing Tatum and Jeff Bridges are immediately sidelined.

Meanwhile Hanna Alstrom is once again on the bum end of a gag as Princess Tilde, model turned actress Poppy Delevingne is assaulted in a Glastonbury tent, and singer Elton John appears as himself.

Only Julianne Moore as a megalomanic drug dealer holding world to ransom survives with any credit.

The series comic book origins are evident in the wacky building design, casual attitude to mass destruction, paper thin characters and the absence of gravity from action scenes.

Scrabbling around for jokes and ideas, the script borrows from superhero films and Indiana Jones. It proudly lifts a joke from Carry On up the Khyber, which was amusing back in 1968.

Writers Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman find swearing incurably funny and take juvenile delight in their misjudged attempts to be outrageous. There’s no cinematic gold here, only a circle of fools.

THOR: RAGNAROK

Cert 12A 130mins Stars 3

Gods and monsters battle for interstellar supremacy in the latest Marvel superhero adventure.

It’s a rainbow coloured bridge connecting the Earth-bound adventures of Marvel’s Avengers, to the sci-fi comedy of their Guardians of the Galaxy movies. 

Chris Hemsworth has previously played Thor endearingly dim. But here the Norse God of Thunder is disappointingly transformed into a generic action hero. He’s shorn of his blonde locks, is relieved of his trademark magic hammer and is noticeably more clever than before.

Thor continues his established rivalry with The Incredible Hulk, with the pair forced into gladiatorial combat an alien planet.

It’s ruled by Jeff Goldblum’s gangster, meanwhile Cate Blanchett sports goth fetish chic as the goddess of death, and Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Thor’s half-brother Loki.

There’s are a stream of blink-and-you’ll-miss-them cameos, infantile bickering and a juvenile delight in swearing.

Marvel fans will love the endless in-jokes and there’s sufficient CGI action to keep casual viewers reasonably entertained.

 

 

VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS

Cert 12A 136mins Stars 3

Take a holiday trip to a city in space with this spectacular looking sci-fi adventure.

War is threatened when aliens kidnap a space police commander, so a pair of glamorous intergalactic agents blast off to save the universe.

It’s based on a 1970’s French comic which was one of the key influences of the original Star Wars, and everything feels very familiar.

However we’re never bored because there is always something glorious to look at. It’s a non-stop parade of dazzlingly beautiful aliens, spaceships and planets.

But even mad French director Luc Besson is so busy gawping like a tourist at the amazing sights, the story is lost in the rush to see what’s around the next corner.

After her astonishingly poor performances in last year’s superhero fiasco, Suicide Squad, model turned actress Cara Delevingne rescues her fledgling career with a terrifically smart, sexy and kick ass performance.

As Sergeant Laureline she has to carry the story due to her co-star being horrifically miscast.

This big budget blockbuster needs leading man swagger, such as Chris Pratt provides in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy.

Instead we have Dane DeHaan, an intense actor well suited to small indie movies but is skill set is utterly wrong for the role of Major Valerian, and who lacks the authority required for the role.

Nor does DeHaan have a shred of romantic chemistry with Delevingne. Plus Valerian is noticeably more dim and less effective than his subordinate Laureline, but the script never sees this as a problem.

Popstar Rihanna makes a brief appearance as an adult entertainer, she has multiple costume changes and her stunt double does good work.

Clive Owen, Ethan Hawke, Rutger Hauer appear game for a laugh and for some reason jazz composer Herbie Hancock beams by as the Defence Minister.

The city of a thousand planets is a lovely looking place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to go back.

 

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

Cert 12A 133mins Stars 4

Marvel’s most popular superhero swings to ever greater heights in this wildly entertaining reboot.

Despite being the sixth Spider-Man film since 2002 and featuring yet another actor under the mask, this exuberant blast of summer fun is the best ever Spider-Man film.

Winningly confident, exciting and funny, it’s a web of wisecracks, stunts, and special effects, and is strung together by the gleeful performance of Brit actor, Tom Holland. 

Having developed super powers by being bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker is a high school nerd by day and Spider-Man at night. He fearlessly confronts criminals yet is intimidated by the father of his date to the Homecoming prom.

Meanwhile Michael Keaton has a lot of fun as a super villain called The Vulture, much more than the actor ever did as Tim Burton’s Batman, back in – gulp – 1989.

The bad guy flies a set of mechanical wings created from the remnants of the alien attack on Earth seen in Marvel’s Avenger’s Assemble, back in 2012.

The script is faithful to the spirit of the comic but never slavish in attention to detail and gives a contemporary take on the character. It’s all the better for being happy to introduce key characters late on, or dispense with them entirely.

The tone owes a huge amount to the giddy vitality of the 1980’s teen films of John Hughes, most notably Ferris Bueller’s Day Off which is clearly referenced.

 

Sony have long owned the Spider-Man film rights but not the rights to other heroes in the Marvel universe. This co-production with Marvel Studios is a ‘Homecoming’ for Spider-Man as it allows him to become integrated into the adventures of other Marvel heroes such as Captain America and Iron Man.

This gives the web slinger a much needed fresh set of legs, and that of course is a whole lot of legs.