Reviews

Personally, comedy specials (particularly those from across the pond) are not my cup of tea, often trying too hard without really having a basis for a show (other than the jokes themselves).

"Inside" is both a great take on a year of lost time and a commentary on the toll it might have had on some people's mental states, interspersed with decent comedic songs and a real flair for the visual.

Having ascended from fledging internet comedian to a tour-de-force of stand up and (more recently) cinema, Burnham's comedy is fairly bleak but still modern. Having said this, "Inside" explores darker themes, centring on loneliness, depression and lethargy. Filmed in one room, Burnham's appearance and surroundings mirror his emotional state, deteriorating and increasingly claustrophobic.

The comedy, for me, takes a back seat to the palpable sense of isolation. Regardless, there are some strong skits within: a fake streaming playthrough, and an indie brand's press release are smart, refreshing pieces of comedy within a "stand-up" routine. Burnham does revert to some pretty linear comedic centres at points, but these are more stop gaps to fill the time.

With distinct Jim Carrey "Kidding" vibes, "Bo Burnham: Inside" is as smart a comedic special as you will find today, with laughs for all crowds and some great creative direction to boot. The deeper themes are there for those who want to explore further, and suggest that this 30-year-old comic has some serious ability when it comes to the finer art of televisual humour.

"Army of the Dead'' has it all: by that, I mean absolutely every overplayed movie trope going today.

Weird camera work, vomit-inducing characters, a premise with scope but no execution and a multitude of plot holes. Somehow this project was green-lit, and that is the only interesting result of this Netflix-Snyder car crash.

First off - who wrote this? It reads like a child's story, a horrible mix of downright cringe dialogue and completely redundant characters. It's a mess of unbearable "personalities", each with their own dislikable traits, led by the ascending Dave Bautista.

This man can't really act, so when he is your unironic lead, you know something isn't right. The clamour of all these people jostling for screen time is tiresome and garish - not a great start if you're appealing to the masses.

What's weird is that the budget is clearly there. Netflix have thrown money at this project, with CGI and set design as good as you might see anywhere. Unfortunately, it's all for naught, since the much-hyped setting of Vegas is totally unexploited.

Why use such a variable environment if none of its core elements are going into the film? Set this movie anywhere else on Earth, and nothing (bar the occasional quirkily-dressed zombie) really changes.

"Army of the Dead" can't decide what it wants to be. Is it a comedy without any laughs, or a horror-heist without any drama? Either way, this is nothing short of a total failure, both in creating a story of any merit, but also in delivering something close to a worthwhile two hours.

More akin to a video game you would play and forget in a heartbeat, Snyder's latest attempt to regain some credibility is not even worth considering. Back to square one.

Partridge is a national treasure, but also a tricky concept to bring into the 21st century. "This Time" is a brilliant port: satirising everything awful about today's fast news format, it gives Coogan scope to roam with the character, both as the subject and the perpetrator of the comedy, but also benefits from supporting cast members (mostly) carrying their weight.

Imitating the relentless stream of terrestrial rubbish (think "The One Show"), Partridge talks equal amounts of waffle alongside his competent but unfriendly co-anchor Jennie (Susannah Fielding). The show's garish image and meagre news offerings feel truthful, and displays a sharper comedic touch moving into the second season.

Some of the elements aren't my favourite: co-pilot Simon (Tim Key) holds none of the likeability of the franchise's former sidekicks, and his bits do drag a bit. In a similar vein, on-site correspondent Ruth (Lolly Adefope) is honestly infuriating to watch semi-frequently, given that the running gag wasn't a particularly great laugh to begin with.

For a Partridge fan, "This Time" will definitely scratch the itch. No, it isn't perfect, but it is still funny and - more importantly - is improving every season. The lack of a laugh track feels right to me, and I hope the BBC has the foresight to keep laughing at itself.

Aziz Ansari has taken a serious gamble. For this third season, he has scrapped the main characters, the flavour and the overarching story, all to try and tell a more emotionally grounded and empathetic tale.

In my book, this was a gross miscalculation: in a show built off subtle humour and underlying drama, this step is so brash and obtrusive that it will offend devoted fans and casual viewers alike. I respect the ambition, but it is so far off the mark that I'm shocked it even made it to production.

"Master of None" fills a niche caveat, providing light-hearted relief whilst still delivering harder hits at crucial junctures. Season 3's stark (and entirely joyless) narrative is comparably dry and downright boring at times, making the switch baffling.

Ansari himself is barely in the show anyway, and the new main (Lena Waithe, a supporting cast member) doesn't have the scope to work with. Furthermore, her love interest has never even featured in the show before, so how are we expected to empathise with her?

The visuals are still serviceable (countryside is a novel touch in American shows), but really cannot compensate enough for the dull and dragging plot line. Some segments of episodes are downright stagnant; they aim to replicate 'life's realism's', but scream pretentiousness.

This is as close to a U-turn in quality as I have ever seen. "Master of None" was good, but this is a spectacular fall from Grace that will require a master stroke to rectify: now we will have to wait to see what Ansari can do to mitigate the fallout.

It sounds strange to talk of the serenity deafness may hold for some, but Darius Marder's new project "Sound of Metal" is both a cathartic and stressful insight into the lives of those living without the gift of hearing.

Brilliantly channeled by Riz Ahmed, Ruben's rapid decline into silence is a great watch, balancing the abject lows of a drummer losing his gift against someone finding his purpose.

Ruben and his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) have no time to comprehend nor stem his hearing's demise; a brutal wake-up call for both members, throwing their business and relationship straight under the bus.

This is not, however, where the story decides to meander: instead, an inspired move to take the characters out of their comfort zones and into a new community is where the plot grabbed me.

Riz Ahmed has received serious award attention (and deservedly so), but Paul Raci dominates his scenes. His benevolent but principled mentor role curtails Ruben but still inspires him - not an easy thing to convey on screen in a limited timeframe. His chemistry with Riz is great, propelling the centre of the film and was my favourite element.

Deafness is a tricky principle to translate meaningfully to the screen, but "Sound of Metal" takes great care with the audio. Silence, noise and music are all core concepts and treated respectfully, and this movie is all the better for it. Furthermore, sign language scenes are unusual but entirely warranted and fascinating to watch. Fortunately, the quality elsewhere is equally high, and the cinematography is itself compelling and uniquely shot.

As this year's fairly limp offering of films goes, "Sound of Metal" comfortably rises above the white noise of Hollywood dramas we've been inundated with. Don't avoid this movie if you feel like heavy metal will alienate you: it is such a minor part of this film that you will be lost in the compelling characters faster than you can think.

Oliva Wilde's feature-length directorial debut should be considered a success. This authentic (if comedically heightened) reenactment of teenage angst and intrigue during the final days of high school is funny whilst emotionally engaging. Future stars Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein are inimitable, backed by great casting throughout and clever song and shot selection.

As the two girls realise they've spurned their youth studying, they decide to enjoy their final hours as teenagers, attending a party to signify their transition to college. This starts the city-spanning journey of the night, ranging from boat parties to attempted kidnapping.

The music in this film is stupidly good. So many songs so carefully selected for every scene is a rarity, and it does "Booksmart" no harm to knock the music out the park. The shots are also deceptively good - a lot of intelligent slo-mo and colour is a good way to go for a comedy.

Yes, there is a stylistic and comedic angle that not everyone will click with, but I would still say "Booksmart" is one of the better teen flicks out there today. I think the better judge of quality is that the leads will definitely be around for a long time coming.

This Oscar-scooping biopic of a modern-day nomad is intricate: the personalities Frances McDormand meets (most of whom were not actors but real nomads) are what build the environment, contrasting with the bleak realities of work and health. Enveloping this story are the jaw-dropping vistas of the USA - they are enough to make anyone consider why these nomads live they way they do.

As McDormand traipses from job to job (the inside of an Amazon warehouse being one particularly stark environ), you get the sense that her life has as much of a cyclical nature as anyone else who is shackled to a routine. The reality is that whilst she does live on the poverty line, the freedom of her mobile home allows her to live a lifestyle most others would smirk at anyway.

The fact that this manner of living was imposed on her by the death of her husband and her town is an interesting concept, making you wonder whether the change was her choice, or a necessity of her position. The story is less the driver and more an incidental occurrence: people on the road shape that experience, and Chloé Zhao does a terrific job of conveying this.

I've written several times before about how America offers something so unique in terms of setting, and "Nomadland" comes closer than almost anything to demonstrating that. From the snow-driven mountains of the north through to the dry hills of the mid-west, this film looks superb. Zhao's eye goes further than just scenery, and her touch around every shot is evident and appreciated.

"Nomadland" will not be everyone's cup of tea. Some will see it as a slow and heavy process, but I more look at this movie as a heartfelt instance of realism. It meanders through American life (however you might interpret that), and in that regard, it is a memorable watch.

This movie looks like a horror, but plays out for more like a drama. "Sputnik" is Russia's entry into the mainstream sci-fi market, and it wasn't an awful effort. Combining elements of "Alien" with Russia's Soviet-bloc architecture, I wasn't disappointed, but I did feel I wanted more.

As a cosmonaut returns to Earth with serious amnesia and a dead partner, one doctor is tasked with finding out just what happened, all under the gaze of a general intent on preserving Soviet glory. Things ramp up pretty quickly, but the film somehow maintains a fairly constant pace from the first big reveal. The CGI is actually pretty strong, a good mix of sticky violence and fairly horror-authentic sliminess, and they don't overstate it.

What surprised me was the quality of the music: the score ascends as the story moves, and the climactic soundtrack is stronger than I expected. Set-wise, the Russian expanse-turned-scientific-lab is also a nice touch (probably abandoned from years before), and does fit the whole feeling of the movie.

Unfortunately, the plot isn't the most amazing; it starts optimistically, but then settles on tropes you'll have seen 100 times in Hollywood. I was actually a bit sad that both the mystery and the space elements disappeared fairly early on - the claustrophobic first five minutes were excellent, but this environment is then removed from the story instantly. There is also a child-based subplot that does nothing for the end product, and this feels forced.

"Sputnik" knows what it is: a Soviet mystery with some fun violence thrown in for good measure. The acting is standard, the violence gratuitous, but nothing really makes the story pop. Still, I got what I expected - I just wish that space had got a bit more exposure.

Painting itself as an anti-Superman story with the gore and scares ramped up, "Brightburn" is an intriguing concept at heart, but fails to live up to more than my basal expectations. Considering the idea, they do fairly little with it, and this movie stumbles towards being only forgettable.

From the word go, it's all a bit predictable. Nothing ever grabs you, and even the violence is short-lived and too reliant on gore to please many. Not only this, but when the potential for some real escalation does present itself (right at the end), it ends to a mismatch of boring news stories and a Billie Eilish song.

The whole thing is just a bit of a damp squib. What could have been better? Frankly, I didn't really care at all about any of the characters: I thought the antagonist was aimless, the parents a mix of overly understanding and blindly stupid, and the rest of the cast as bland as can be.

Couple this all with some meagre attempts at fights (all pointless given the power gulf), stalling and some really forced horror elements, there isn't much to keep your attention. "Brightburn" is probably one to miss.

As Michael Douglas' banker-turned-pawn is thrown around the city, addled and confused, you begin to understand just where the story is heading. "The Game" is a film with the tiresome features cut out: no love-story complication, no excess story baggage, just the fun bits you wanted to see.

Starring Douglas, Sean Penn and Deborah Kara Unger, this movie relies on slight suspension of belief. Being a high-flying banker, Douglas is gifted by his brother (Penn) one ticket to 'The Game' - a living-game experience that promises to be unlike anything he has seen before. This, whilst not a novel concept, is executed effectively enough to keep the audience guessing throughout, and manages to wrap the story up semi-succinctly towards the finale.

My only qualm, however (omitting spoilers), is style of the ending - it feels like a departure from both the nature of the characters and the story, given the way it portrays itself as a maze of lies and deception. Still, Penn and Douglas do enough to pull it off, and the story is rewarding in the sense that you are still unsure of the conclusion till the final act.

It looks and sounds decent, but nothing that makes or breaks the film. The environments do look genuine (Douglas spends a lot of time in the high-life frequents of the city), and the CRB Building is a particuarly smart touch.

Is this a world beater? Not really. Is it a fun watch that will pass the time? Certainly. Douglas is authentically cynical-turned-exasperated, and Penn's estranged brother angle is engaging in his few scenes. "The Game" won't blow your head off, but it's not half bad either.

Season 1 was a good mix of decent stories and some duds, all built on the brilliant animation talents of every team behind the episode. Season 2, however, offers only half the stories, and nothing with the same power of earlier episodes such as "Zima Blue". There are flashes of talent, but nothing that really pushes the boat out for me.

Season 2's best episodes are "Pop Squad", "Snow in the Desert" and "The Drowned Giant"; all great starting blocks, but don't do enough with their 15 minutes of screen time. The animation in the first two is second to none out there, and this technical proficiency is what actually makes the series stand out.

Unfortunately, the weaker episodes are borderline wastes of time. "Ice" and "Automated Customer Support" are just animation flexes, lacking any substantial plot or personal inspiration. This is exacerbated by the lack of episodes: only 8 after two years of production? This is a confusing downgrade from Netflix, particularly since some studios must be clamouring for the opportunity to produce this sort of work.

"Love, Death and Robots" is a project I am a firm advocate of: it fills a market gap that sorely needs indie flare, whilst giving them the budget to flex their talent. Having said this, the poor showing from season 2 does irk me, and makes it hard to really justify the experiment continuing too much longer.

The first time I watched "The Prestige", I didn't think anything of it whatsoever. However, on reflection, I think it's a film to be taken with a pinch of salt, and not just when regarding the magic.

This movie suffers from two main characters having the thickest plot armour imaginable - making all of their encounters feel inconsequential. This is a fairly severe oversight in an otherwise robust film that does provide intrigue, but still lacks on a fundamental level.

Nolan is one to weave as complex a tale as he can, and here is no different. Starting with a dramatic but unexplained death, the story plots the rivalry between two pioneering magicians: one who prizes showmanship and theatrics, and the other who reveres the art above all else. I prefer Hugh Jackman's performance to Christian Bale's (not something I would normally say), but Bale's feels a bit too abrasive and cynical even for the character design.

What lost me a bit was the whole Nikola Tesla arc, where Nolan tries bridging the gap between illusion and reality. It's all a bit clunky, and whilst I don't particularly see why David Bowie was brought in for the role, I don't see anyone else doing much more with the material either.

The music is fairly minor in the story (not orchestrated by the usual Hans Zimmer), so doesn't elevate the film like in most of Nolan's other projects. Stylistically, there is a faithfulness to 19th century London; period attire is par for the course, but there is a decent finesse to the whole endeavour. The scenes in the USA are the best looking parts, as the scenery across the pond gives a little more scope for artistic license.

Mercifully, Nolan does leave most of the chronology alone, allowing a more rigid story to be told. Towards the end, I did begin to feel a greater sense of attachment - the conflict between the protagonists is palpable - but the romance aspects felt contrived and just like plot padding. I was invested in the finale, and there certainly are dramatic twists and turns, but in my opinion, they require you to accept some flawed storytelling tactics.

"The Prestige" is definitely not one of Nolan's best: whilst it does exhibit shades of what makes his masterpieces so powerful, it also struggles with hurdles that even basic stories should be practically immune to.

Invulnerability breaks immersion, and is one of the issues I had with "Tenet" 15 years later. That alone inhibits this movie from ascending into hallowed ground, condemning it to just being a worthwhile watch.

Clearly the product of trying to build a show during the pandemic, "Invincible" is a somewhat-clunky but engaging superhero animation, benefitting from having some great source material to work off.

Whilst the quality of visuals does fluctuate wildly, the storyline is good enough not to lose viewers, and the slightly-adult theme does this show a world of favours when considering the future of this franchise.

As with nearly every film/programme/story these days, "Invincible" follows one soon-to-be-superhero as he enters the world of aliens and villains, all whilst in the shadow of his near-omnipotent father. It's definitely a plot that's been done before, but luckily, writer Robert Kirkman (of "Walking Dead" fame) has done the leg work on character development and world building.

This is what really propels the narrative, as parts of the graphics don't always hold up - janky frame rates, dips in quality and some questionable medium decisions are clearly the result of COVID restrictions, but aren't an excuse for sloppy end products.

Strangely, the voice acting features excellent talent (Steven Yeun, JK Simmons, Sandra Oh), but lacks a bit of finesse and punch - almost defintely another byproduct of actors recording separately in their own homes.

Still, their characters are the draw: multiple subplots and overrunning story arcs do help explain the comics' success, plus build the potential for this show to see a serious uptick post-quarantine.

Ultimately, "Invincible" sets up the opportunity for Amazon Prime to really let loose with a second season, building on the foundations and improving on the rougher parts.

As long as they can keep some of the talent behind the voices, this should definitely be a show to keep on the radar, and one to dent the superhero market.

Vapid, Marvel nonsense, without even the CGI magic to hold my attention.

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" doesn't have the acting talent up front to keep it afloat (don't get me started on Mackie/Stan), so when it degenerates into the recycled trope of 'resistance-group-who-aren't-bad-or-good' I really lost all enthusiasm.

The opening episode sets the tone: cheesy fights between grunts and superheroes, interweaved with dialogue that is neither snappy nor engaging. For some reason, Marvel also thought it'd be worth their time to try and include some 'human' issues (not being able to pay rent etc.), which come off as patronising more than anything.

The acting is rotten from the top down: besides the cringeworthy conflict of the two leads, characters like Zemo (Daniel Brühl) and Karli (Erin Kellyman) are prisoners to their restrictive scripting and personal range. I felt a bit for Wyatt Russell (the 'new' Captain America), as he wasn't entirely awful.

The most laughable moment, I would argue, was Disney trying to devote some time in the show to understanding racism. Aside from one out-of-sync police scene early on, it's insultingly ironic that a company pumping films out of China wants to paint themselves as forward-thinking and facilitators of positive change.

I persevered to the end, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed it. Without a doubt this is one of Marvel's weaker efforts: a boring plot is par for the course, but in conjunction with the brutal acting and the laughable villains, this shouldn't have been green-lit to begin with.

Even the Marvel shills have come to their senses, and this show has dropped below an 8 on IMDb; even so, it should really be less than half that.

Soaked in a reddish-orange colour palette, this horror story of two refugees trying to settle in a British council estate is bleak, bitter and brutal.

Powered by the leading duo of Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku, their battle to control both their sanity and their freedom is tough watching, particularly when compounded by the threat of their own haunted house.

Their motives to cross the sea from South Sudan to Europe are clear, sacrificing more than everything to avoid a civil war. However, the immediate problems of acclimatising to an alien nation are all too obvious, putting the couple between a rock and a hard place.

The film develops into a psychological horror as much as one reliant on jump scares, broken up by the harsher realities of England, and the dryly appropriate social housing worker, played by Matt Smith.

The set design is immaculate, using the full extent of the house (and artistic license where appropriate) to build a brilliantly atmospheric setting.

This is a tragic watch no doubt, but not your conventional horror film - by playing classic scare tropes against the sombre background story, "His House" is a poetic and underrated tale of loss.

"Sunshine" has a distinct and indie-sci-fi feel to it, thanks in part to Danny Boyle's uniquely 'British' style (think "28 Days Later").

This understated space thriller is quietly impressive, blending a beautiful score and environment with some sturdy acting and a story that more than holds its own. The final push isn't quite there, but fundamentally is a sound project through and through.

Charting the journey of a spaceship aiming to restart Earth's dying sun, "Sunshine" is packed with famous faces: Cillian Murphy and Chris Evans have the most screen time, but other Hollywood mainstays like Cliff Curtis and Rose Byrne contribute in equal amounts themselves.

I enjoy Chris Evans in anything where he isn't a superhero, and this forum does let him flex some of his unappreciated acting ability. Space makes for a brilliant setting regardless of the animation quality (negative space can be maximised even without a spectacular budget), and this movie does work with the Sun's overpowering aura.

The set design is careful and well-executed too, but John Murphy's resplendent score is what elevates everything around it (seriously, go and listen, totally amazing). The story is a bit flat at times, but certainly picks up towards the climax; Boyle's personal style of 'action' is accentuated here, showing both strengths and weaknesses - your drama building is great, but please, keep the damn camera still sometimes.

"Sunshine" gets it all done here: sure, it could use some polish and a bit of trimming, but ultimately, more than gets the job done.

Since this film, the absurdly good "Interstellar" has graced the big screen, and I can't help feel that some inspiration was drawn from this undervalued work.

O Just because it's accurate, doesn't make it good. Bo Burnham's full directorial debut "Eighth Grade" is a walking cringe-fest, full of the embarrassing moments that we associate early teenage years with. This novelty might hold up for some, but only succeeded in boring me; awkwardness is a trait that is neither watchable nor compelling. If kids had anything interesting to say, then there would be far more high school films that weren't just subjects of derision. As a group of schoolkids prepares to 'graduate' from eighth grade (which, by the way, is one of the stupidest traditions I didn't know Americans did), one shy teenager attempts to make some inroads with her classmates, whilst vlogging about her experiences. It's good to see this often overlooked aspect of youth given some attention, and Elsie Fisher does a good job, but the rest of the story just isn't there. This lack of real foundation then devolves into a heavily-sexualised story, horribly uncomfortable to watch, but also totally unprovoked given the concerned age group (at their youngest, 13 year-olds). I think Bo Burnham did show a good eye for a shot, particularly when it came to lighting (or lack thereof). Not normally the focus of teen films, Burnham makes sure to exploit darkness to maximum effectivity, heightening realism but also allowing the viewer to make their own minds up about what is transpiring. I see where the creative vision was in "Eighth Grade", and I do commend the attempt to breakout from the norm. Saying this, the lack of a plot I empathise with is damning, as is the skincrawlingly forced sexuality of the film, a combination of issues I haven't seen too many times before, and hope not to see again.

The narrative of "Into the Wild" wants to force a story; a digestible, vapid plot to explain Christopher McCandless' curious motivations.

However, this story does move itself, meandering in a fashion akin to the river Emile Hirsch's character navigates. I was invested in was the personal journey: people met incidentally, experiences endured, and the culmination of someone living a life by their own hand.

As true stories go, it's an understated tale - one man going it alone, hitchhiking and traipsing across North America. It taps into a thought that has crossed every person's mind at some point, considering how they'd fare if they did abandon everything they consider regular.

Throughout this journey, all the vistas of America's varied tapestry is on full display, from the immaculate snows of the Yukon to the desolate desert bowls of Mexico, but I don't know if they were employed to their fullest potentials.

It is, at its heart, a human story. Christopher (supposedly) wants to escape the rat race, disillusioned by his parents' over reliance on materialism and emotional restraint. I do, however, take fault with the very forced human interactions that were probably few and far between, particularly a romantically-inclined side arc that felt pretty obtuse.

"Into the Wild" is a narrative on inner conflict. McCandless seeks solitude, but loves to help everyone he meets.

By the finish, I was more sympathetic that this was probably someone who felt deep abandonment, and succumbed to an interminable desire to disappear.

Steven Spielberg is undoubtedly a cinematic legend, establishing himself with "Jaws", and following that triumph with something completely different.

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" is stylistically brilliant, holding its own even now, 40 years down the line, but loses me on the story's slightly comical nature.

Very few films manage to create aliens that feel both sensible and awe-inspiring, but seeing these borderline silent entities pass by is stunning. Everything transpiring in the arid plains of Indiana is also a great stroke, an environment that allows magnitude to be manipulated more easily.

The alien interaction is the meat of this movie (hence why the beginning and the end are the best parts), so when it devolves slightly into the 'alien conspiracy' storyline, I did feel my focus wane. Musically and character-wise, the unique elements are certainly engaging: both the main players and the design of the crafts (lighting, sound, movement) are inspired and stylised, building a strong side-narrative to push the plot along.

I think, unfortunately, that this film is not immune to the ravages of time - the story hasn't aged amazingly, and there's an almost slapstick feel that really wears on the viewer at around the halfway mark.

Salvaged by a profound conclusion, "Close Encounters" is certainly iconic, but not necessarily the film it once was. Even so, Spielberg's talent is undeniable, a man who brought aliens to life.

As the bullets thud into the still falling bodies of the men on Omaha Beach, Spielberg had already sold me.

The sheer finality of every bullet - no men miraculously surviving fatal shots, no people dying honourably, but the very real and palpable horrors of war.

"Saving Private Ryan" does what all films movies have strived to from then on: creating dread, a sense of impending doom, a hopelessness in a war they have no control over, and yet still building a brilliantly human cast.

Tom Hanks, for my money, is at his best here, a dryly funny man who the company will follow to the ends of the Earth, but who fully understands the brutality of war. The supporting ensemble is full of faces you'll have seen since - particularly that of Private Ryan himself, Matt Damon - and there's good reason, given the ubiquitous nature of strong performances.

War often feels contrived and unrealistic in this adaptations, but here it feels gritty and real; the fight scenes are beautifully crafted and varied, and some of the cinematography is deceptively excellent.

There is a definite 'patriotism' angle, but the surrounding quality is so high that I can forgive this normally cringeworthy pandering. Frankly, only the equally superb "Band of Brothers" can rival this movie in terms of accuracy, emotion and beauty.

"Saving Private Ryan" is the last true war epic that has been produced, and I can only hope to see another.

America loves building the narrative that "we" are the heroes, and that everyone else aspires to be like the West.

Nowhere in this mindset do those patriotic individuals consider that other people may be aggrieved by how they have been treated over the years, particularly by a country that paints everyone else as the enemy.

"The Mauritanian" is embarrassing watching for a nation that paints itself as protector of the free - a statement that, from a neutral perspective, is completely misguided. I would say that this story shocks me, but by now, I have no doubts of the depths the USA have sunk to.

Following the detainment and subsequent interrogation of a man implicated in recruitment for the 9/11 attacks, "The Mauritanian" looks at both the prosecution and the defense, fixating on the lengths the US have gone to silencing such a fugitive.

This is a film that is more about the story than the players, so the acting was only required to make the narrative believable. Jodie Foster and Tahar Rahim are both decent, but Benedict Cumberbatch felt surplus to requirement (given he didn't look like his character or have any unique qualities to justify his selection above an American).

Set-wise, Cape Town was transformed to represent Guantanamo, doing a good job of creating a stark contrast between the hostility of the prison against the rolling sea only metres away. I enjoyed the repetitive, claustrophobic soundtrack as well (clearly added to contribute to the tension), but still felt the hard-hitting stuff should have taken up a larger portion of the film.

"The Mauritanian" is adapted from a bestselling biography, and it's not hard to imagine why - this story is as harrowing as it is damning.

What vexed me most was the news that accompanies the credits: that there are almost 800 people who experienced the same abysmal treatment, some of which are still having their human rights violated by a country that holds everyone else to higher standards than it does its own patrons.

Finally, something with Daniel Day-Lewis I didn't hate. As you look at the face of this man, convicted for a crime he didn't commit, you appreciate the qualities that have made him an Oscar-dominating actor.

The Guildford pub bombing is a story eerily close to my home, but this isn't what I reacted to: more, the complete lack of morality and humanity of a legal system hell-bent on ruining the lives of a few people, just because of their nationality.

Pete Postlethwaite is the standout: an actor I had only seen once (a brief but impactful showing in "Inception"), he steals the show, playing the compassionate but conflicted father to Day-Lewis' roguish protagonist, an equally compelling character.

The rest of the cast is decent, but sometimes stray into slight incredulity - this films is no doubt guilty for occasionally trying too hard for a laugh. Really, given a plot as sombre as this, I would expect slightly more gravitas to be afforded. The settings are unique: the courtroom is compelling (cramped but swelling with vibrancy), and the prison and Ireland both set a great scene. All are bright and give a bit of life, particularly in a genre that would so readily devolve to dark and pessimistic settings.

Story-wise, the delicate balance of the IRA and a nervy England is palpable, expressed through the anxieties of the police and the public. This creates a consistent drama that explains the story's direction, but also makes the xenophobia even more disgusting.

"In the Name of the Father" is bleak. It paints England in a harsh, unforgiving light, such is the injustice it seeks to pile on Ireland, solely on the reputation of a violent few.

This tension, probably representing the national sentiment of the time, is delivered effectively and continuously, in a film that is a slow but effective judicial burner.

I must have been paying no attention the first time.

Upon revisiting, "Arrival" is a well-formed and deceptively complex commentary on life itself, taught to us through the medium of an extra-terrestrial presence visiting Earth. I don't think this is a film where acting was at the forefront of my mind: more engaging are the concepts of language, human nature and emotion.

Denis Villenueve is a master craftsman when it comes to world building (think "Blade Runner 2049", "Sicario"), and his talents translate into moulding the image of the visiting aliens. This bleeds into his treatment of their otherworldly communication, interpreted uniquely but accessibly through their 'patterns'.

I appreciated the attention Villenueve gave the environments outside of the spaceships themselves, even though they are not the main focus - a small detail that goes a long way.

As the story goes, its subtle brilliance is more apparent in the latter half, where it really takes off, especially considering the actions of other nations; I think my only real lack of engagement came in the earlier stages, where the struggle of language was presented as fairly linear and a bit nonsensical (bringing one linguist from the whole of the USA).

Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker look comfortable in their roles, particularly Whitaker, who has to play the intermediary between the militarily-inclined government and the evidence-backed Adams. Musically, the understated backing track builds pathos unconsciously, a smart choice so as not to overpower the delicate nature of the story itself.

"Arrival" is an enthralling experience, a space epic that subconsciously focusses more on the earthbound. It does require your focus, and might not grab everyone, but rewards those who treat the story with sufficient gravitas.

John Carpenter built his reputation on the horror icons of the 70s and 80s: "Halloween", "The Thing" and "The Fog" are all his works, names now synonymous with the golden age of Hollywood slashers and the conception of brilliantly gory visual effects.

"They Live" is a slightly different beast, concerned less with visuals and more with the story. It's a shame that the acting is so horrendous and absurd that it doomed this movie to the B-list, because otherwise I really enjoyed this refreshingly well-executed tale.

"They Live" revolves around a special pair of sunglasses and a curious protagonist, messily played by former wrestler Roddy Piper. His strongest asset is his mullet; his weakest is his acting talent. Keith David isn't bad (a long-time collaborator of Carpenter's), but otherwise, the acting leaves a lot to be desired.

Elsewhere, I actually loved this film's art design, a great mix of dystopian and menacing, all under the veil of a normal society. The 80s aesthetic is utilised by making the alien presence minimal but starkly contrasting, doing a damn sight better than nearly every other production of that era.

Furthermore, 'their' willingness to blend in is a great mixture of amusing and potentially terrifying. It's infrequent that extraterrestrial films have a 'fun' element to them, so this should be appreciated,

"They Live" is a film that should be enjoyed light-heartedly, ignoring sci-fi stereotypes and forging its own, slightly askew, path. Some people might even enjoy the over-the-top acting, but otherwise, you're just getting a solid alien flick.

Considered an underappreciated gem and the best film James Mangold has directed thus far, this remake of the classic Western is a slow-burner, but not one that compelled me.

There is nothing 'wrong' per se, but a dearth of characters to root for, a meandering plot and - yet again - an unexploited environment makes for a frustrating waste of potential.

I like both Crowe and Bale as leading men (they star in two of my favourite films ever), but they don't have a massive amount to play with. Westerns are famously understated, talking little and shooting often, but that sort of story falls flat if it isn't backed up by sturdy visual storytelling.

Therein lies the problem: nobody is very likeable in this ragtag group of griping, miserable men stuck in pioneering America. I would have been happy if they had all died in one big shootout, but unfortunately that prediction was unlikely to come true.

There are moments of interest (the dynamic of Crowe's outlaw against Bale's straight-edge citizen is occasionally engaging), but not enough to carry over the scenes where less is happening. Undeveloped USA is a malleable setting, giving the options of deserts, mountains and forests, but few opportunities are explored; the final scene is a good watch, otherwise, I wasn't much engaged by the settings.

I cannot speak for the dedication of this remake to the original's image, but I wasn't taken by "3:10 to Yuma" - as far as I could tell, it was an average Western in the place of a potentially great one.