Never entirely comfortable as a heartthrob, Johnny Depp always seemed to gravitate toward the weirdos, whether it was as a goth Scissorhands or a disappointing Wonka. And while the last few years of his career have devolved into an endless parade of funny-hat-wearing characters that are a deep as a puddle (the Mad Hatter being the most shrill), there was always a flicker of that slight madness that made him a star. (more…)
“I’m standing in front of a burning house and I’m offering you fire insurance on it.” That’s how trader Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling) describes the titular transaction at the heart of The Big Short, a dramedy based on the build up to the 2008 financial crisis. (more…)
It’s easy to get mad at Michael Bay’s latest slice of processed American cheese, especially as the movie (based on the Benghazi attacks of 2012) lands at a time calculated to do the most damage to Democrats during an election year . Yet it’s harder to overlook Bay’s increasing command of his craft, even as the story and dialogue falter. (more…)
(and by “best” I mean my favourites)
2015 has come and gone, and left in its wake are a huge swath of movies to delight our eyeballs and earholes. Some franchise revivals missed the mark (I’m looking at you Jurassic World!) while others were blessedly good (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, phew). There were lots of gems both big and small – here are the ones I liked best: (more…)
If Leonardo DiCaprio doesn’t win his Best Actor Oscar for The Revenant then I doubt there’s any extremes left for him to go to. His performance in the film – a kind of Passion Play depicting one man’s suffering and hardships – is brutal and immersive, as is the movie surrounding him. (more…)
Glen On Film 