'Luna's Revenge' is a tense story of heartbreak and discovery. Luna’s family are murdered in cold blood during their holiday in the mountains and the killers will stop at nothing the take her out too. As she runs for her life Luna uncovers the truth about her family and her father’s secret life as a Russian spy, but instead of leaving the country and heading for safety she decides that she wants revenge instead.

Lisa Vicari is fantastic as Luna and draws you in with her performance as you go on her journey of grief and fear with her. The film is tense and while it doesn’t do anything greatly surprising with the story, what it does do it does effectively and with great cinematic style. Based on a true story it is a brilliant portrayal of the subtleties of real life espionage.

While there are action scenes, this is not you typical action packed spy movie. It is much more personal than that and is very much about Luna and how the events change her, and also how they don't. As she discovers that her whole life has been a lie we see the childlike innocence stripped away as she becomes a determined young woman with resolve. 'Luna's Revenge' questions where the line is between duty and morals. It also makes a very strong political comment about Russian spies in Germany.

The only downside to this film is that it is essentially straightforward. The story is very well executed but it doesn't do anything surprising or clever, which is the one missing piece of the puzzle that would make it exceptional and a lot more memorable. But otherwise it is a great story and a great film.

Eight teenage friends play games of discovery to alleviate the boredom during a hot summer in a Belgian-Dutch border village. 'We' (original name 'Wij') is a striking and very graphic story about a group of young people who lose their innocence while discovering, exploring, and then exploiting their sexuality in the quest for fun and money. They push the boundaries and challenge themselves and each other, but pretty soon their sexual curiosity begins to blur the lines between right and wrong.

The story is told in chapters through the eyes of different members of the group and we find out what happened while awaiting the outcome of a trial. ‘We’ is a great example of how things can quickly escalate and spiral out of control and the film is very well shot and directed. The chapter based style of storytelling works very well and ensures that things are revealed at the right moments to progress and build the narrative.

The acting was great all round and Aimé Claeys was particularly memorable as Thomas in the way that he showed so many different sides of the character throughout the film. He is definitely the most representative of the teenagers becoming predatory through games and sexual exploitation, and the conclusion to his story is one that will hang in the air once the film ends. What was most interesting was the motivations and reasons why the members of the group do the things that they do, and they all have different reasons.

The film questions responsibility, remorse and accountability and is both a great and somewhat shocking watch.

Coming soon.

The premiere of 'Seeing Him' at the Prince Charles Cinema generated two first times in one night: my first red carpet screening there, which proved more fitting than expected, and the first time I saw a short film screened twice at the same event: before and after a Q&A with the filmmakers (there were also a few last words from the panel and the audience after the second screening). And speaking of second times, we also discovered the film itself had had two directors and had been filmed twice.

Directed by Chris Jones & Catherine Arton, and written by Vanessa Bailey (who also stars), 'Seeing Him' is a doomed love story, the tale of an impossible relationship between Sophie, a middle aged professional, and James, a secret lover Sophie’s sister disapproves of.

French presidential elections still fresh in mind, though I immediately noticed the age gap between Bailey (who you might have seen in Eastenders or Southcliffe), and George Taylor (Partners in Crime, X Company, The Lady in the Van), it didn’t exactly shock me and therefore made me automatically think the secrecy of the relationship couldn’t possibly be only about this. Something about James was also both candidly charming and disturbingly clingy, so I wasn’t surprised either when I saw my suspicions confirmed halfway through the film. Funnily though, if one specific shot hadn’t completely thrown me off track in the first couple of minutes, I would have gotten the whole picture from the very first shot...and this would have taken nothing away from the film’s impact.

To twist, or not to twist… that became one of the first questions during the second Q&A, as many viewers in the audience found themselves moved more deeply during the second viewing once the twist had been revealed and I wonder if the filmmakers will decide to alter the way they present 'Seeing Him' to future audiences.

Another discussion in the Q&A was gender and age. Bailey stated one of her goals in writing 'Seeing Him' was to create new roles for females in their 40s. Ironically, Sophie could really be any age, and it is her universality that in parts also makes the story so relatable to all, age and gender alike. If anything, it made me wonder why casting for similar roles were not open to both genders or with a wider age range in mind.

Gender politics and twist debate aside, the film was unquestionable moving, thanks to natural, vibrant performances by the leads and supporting cast (Catherine Rowney as Sophie’s sister, Duncan Duff as Sophie’s colleague), beautifully natural cinematography (Don McVey), and last but not least, a hauntingly romantic score by composer William Goodchild (Jago: A Life Underwater, Walking Through History).

Review by Anne-Sophie Marie.

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I don't like fart jokes. Never found them even remotely funny. 'Despicable Me 3' includes one in the studio animation before the film starts; and I laughed! That pretty much sums up my experience with the film. Though the script is predictable it never ceases to throw a curve ball at you every now and then to pleasantly surprise you and keep things fresh, all the while serving delectable comedy treats you're used to from the previous two instalments.

This time around Gru and his wife Lucy are after villain Balthazar Bratt. He used to be a child star of a famous kids TV series where he played a villain. But his career tanked when he hit puberty and he never got over it. Being shunned by Hollywood and former fans he turns into the villain he used to only pretend to be.

Cue the most epic 80's nostalgia party you can imagine every time this dude shows up. The first 10 minutes of 'Despicable Me 3' feature the best use of a Michael Jackson song in ages. And this trip of nostalgia permeates the entire film. 'Despicable Me 3' felt just as much a film aimed at adults as their children, more so than any other animated film in recent history. Tons of jokes will go over children's heads while the adults are laughing their asses off. 

Tearjerkers and mega cuteness aren't far behind as the kid trio makes an appearance once Gru and Lucy lose their jobs due to not apprehending Bratt. Seeing little Agnes' usual break-your-heart, cutsey approach to everything is one of the most endearing aspects of the Despicable Me series. Margo teaching Lucy how to actually be a mom is touching, while Edith gets the short end of the stick by basically being the same character throughout all three films with little to no development. On top of all that we are greeted to a new member of the family, Gru's twin brother Dru. Their dynamic is entirely different from anything we have seen previously and is a great addition to the cast. The minions get their own subplot this time around as a rebellion is brewing given Gru's refusal to return to villainy and our little yellow, banana-loving friends are just not ok with that.
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Most of the characters evolve throughout the film. You can see how much they've changed from the first and second films, which adds so much depth and joy to 'Despicable Me 3'. We are attached to this family and go through everything with them. You know this universe and most of the characters, so certain things don't need an explanation and the film is happy to assume you know what's what and just keep going. It has great pace, the script is tight and brimming with humour while giving everyone their moment to shine.

Character moments, action sequences and everything in between are written almost to perfection. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the film. Probably due to it not focusing on one or two characters but instead giving everyone their due. It's a great ensemble piece and that includes the minions. Everyone brings something to the table and how it all culminates in the final showdown is a brilliant rollercoaster ride that I would love to see again. The end sets up the next film in the series and if it's even half as good as this one I can't wait to see it.

Don’t you just love it when a film surprises you? And I don’t mean a random cameo near the end, but a full on whack-over-the-head surprise in regards to plot and character development. That’s what 'Lady Macbeth' has in store for you. Let me set the scene.

The year is 1865. Somewhere in rural England Katherine (Florence Pugh) is married off to the son of the man who bought her alongside some land that apparently couldn’t feed a cow. Her husband doesn’t desire her and Katherine is forced to live out her life indoors with nothing to do. When her totalitarian father-in-law and husband take extensive leave from their home Katherine starts to come out of her shell. Coming to the rescue of one of her maids who had been assaulted by male grounds workers, Katherine takes a shine to the leader of the gang, Sebastian. A steamy affair ensues with Katherine’s adultery being her least offending infraction on her way to getting what she wants.

'Lady Macbeth' would not be the surprising crowd pleaser it is without the captivating presence of lead Florence Pugh. She delivers an outstanding nuanced and subtle performance. Witnessing Katherine’s slow awakening and, by the end of the film, full on embrace of everything she is and is willing to do is a marvel to behold. This is Pugh’s first lead role and the entire film rests solely on her shoulders, yet she carries this responsibility with the natural confidence of more seasoned actresses. This young woman is one to keep an eye on.

Cosmo Jarvis does a decent job as Sebastian, but it is Naomi Ackie’s maid Anna who is the real counterpoint to Pugh’s Katherine. These two women tear up the screen whenever they’re in a scene together.

The production design and cinematography perfectly underline the bland existence Katherine is forced into. You hardly notice how the visual presentation influences your mood while watching her living her so called life. She is not even a bird in a golden cage. She’s a bird stuck inside an oxygen deprived house with all exits shut. The claustrophobia was so unbearable that I even forgave her falling for a man who assaults women. On the one hand I was grateful we didn’t have to witness this on screen, on the other I feel this was immediately dismissed as it would have influenced the audience more against Sebastian, who ends up being Katherine’s conscience. Conveniently inconsistent. That didn’t sit well with me at all.
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Katherine’s story comes full circle as she smothers the last obstacle in her way, as she was smothered by life, her husband and father-in-law. Taking that final leap past her point of no return she emerges out of her cocoon a new woman. A beautiful butterfly. A deadly one. 

The performances alone are enough to recommend this film. But when a film manages to play with your perceptions in the vain of 2005’s 'Hard Candy' it makes you think as well as enjoy what you see unfold before your eyes. And it is equally shocking, breath-taking and horrendous. Highly recommended. 

Aside from the cutesy animation, slapstick comedy and every now and then funny dialogue, the film treats us to some entertaining action sequences. Among them Smurf-boarding (welcome to the 21st century), white water rafting and riding a fire-breathing dragonfly into battle. Among others I loved witnessing Clumsy overcome, or more to the point, embrace his clumsiness and use it to his advantage. We might view our traits in a negative light, we can’t all be Hefty, but what makes us special is always a positive thing. This film shows you what boys and girls can do and that none of it is boiled down to your gender. It is a powerful message and for that alone I applaud the film.
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The voice acting is great. I especially loved McBrayer as Clumsy, Wilson as Gargamel and Welker as Azrael. Every scene with Gargamel and Azrael was hilarious. It reminded me of the cartoon series I grew up with, perfectly capturing these two characters and their bickering. They were my favourites back then and immediately turned into my favourites in 'Smurfs: The Lost Village'. How could you not like a character who just wants to be the most powerful wizard ever, with a cool robe and get his full head of hair back?

While the look of the film definitely appealed to me and managed to capture that anime feel really well, I was surprised to see a significantly simplified story with the AI component completely dropped and the ending changed. The film still delivers a coherent, yet more predictable story. Nowhere near as philosophical as the original, 'Ghost in the Shell' has been stripped down to appeal more to the mainstream audience. This is still a tale about identity and individuality. In the world of the story humans, cyborgs and robots co-exist. Some people augment their bodies as much as they can afford to while others prefer to stay pure. What makes us human? Our essence, our soul, our “ghost” is who we are, no matter if it is inside a biological or artificial body.

In the film someone has memories of a wife and kid implanted into his ghost and this is real and authentic to the affected person, even though everyone around him can prove that this data is false. Yet the memory is there, his feelings for people who do not exist are real to him and shape him. So who are we really? Memories? Experiences? Just data? Unfortunately the film doesn’t go any deeper into this. Given how our world is hooked on connectivity, exploring this side of the story could have made for a hard-hitting, poignant exploration of where we as a society seem to be heading. Instead we are given a sci-fi actioner with impressive visuals that feels a bit superficial while being thoroughly entertaining.

The acting is what you’d expect from an action film. We all know Johansson is capable of kicking some serious butt (where is our Black Widow film?!) and she proves this again in 'Ghost in the Shell'.
Why they chose to give her robotic movements is anyone’s guess given Major is supposed to be the first of her kind, a cyborg that can pass as a human. It looks weird at times and makes her come across as wooden. Pilou Asbaek delivers an engaging performance as Major’s sidekick Batou. Michael Pitt makes for an interesting antagonist (I loved his look). Juliette Binoche does all she can with what she’s given. But it is the only non-english speaker in the film, Takeshi Kitano, who gets the trophy for most memorable performance for his role of section 9 leader Aramaki. The characters were well captured from the source material, although only one of them is actually Asian. The whitewashing of the original material needs an essay on its own.

The Eilis (pronounced eye-lish in case you were wondering) we meet at the beginning of the film is a very different person to the one we have grown to love by the end. Unfortunately there’s only so much I can say about the film, it does what it does really well but whilst I like the film I do have to admit that there isn’t anything special about it. The story isn’t particularly original or meaningful, visually it’s clean but not that interesting, it’s just an extremely competent compelling film.

It’s nice that no element of the film feels superfluous and no character is extraneous, which is an overly wordy way of saying there’s never a dull moment with stand out characters such as Tony’s deliberately rude little brother and Julie Walters boarding house mistress bringing a well polished element of comedy. As I say, no inch is wasted and you really feel for all the characters but the film doesn’t excel in any particular area, it’s just good at everything.

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