Directed by Michael R. Roskam
Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini in a film together is a recurring wet dream of mine, and in The Drop it finally came true. This is an actor’s film: the beauty of it lies in the physicality of the actors and how they could be thinking and acting contradictorily at almost every turn. The film doesn’t have quite the climax one would hope for, but watching these actors work is worth price of admission alone.
B+
Directed by Francis Lawrence
The newest instalment of the Hunger Games brings us probably exactly what we expected, which may or not be a good thing depending on who you are. The film offers great performances, production design and ramps up the stakes, but can’t escape feeling like the film “in-between” the things we really want to see.
B
Directed by Dan Gilroy
Jake Gyllenhaal absolutely disappears into the titular role of Nightcrawler, a clever, pulsating film about the destructive nature of success. This film is the car crash that you can’t look away from, out of sheer sublime terror. Thankfully, there is still a beating heart amongst the darkness, thanks to the supporting character of Richard (Riz Ahmed): the filmmaker’s have done their subject matter proud whilst keeping the proceedings absolutely electric.
A
Directed by Ruben Östlund
Force Majeure is a gripping tale about relationships and the lies we tell to both ourselves and others. It blew all of my expectations out of the water, with each scene moving along with great dialogue, performance and some of the best cinematography of the year. This is a film where everything has been crafted with purpose and incredible attention to emotion. I don’t want to give too much away: I hope people can find a way to search out and watch this brilliant film.
A
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