Submarine (2010)

Decent Britflick from Richard Ayoade presents a coming-of-age tale with a genuine charm that cuts through the cloying schmaltz of the mass market machine. Funny, moving and nicely shot.


4 stars

El secreto de sus ojos (2009) aka "The Secret in Their Eyes"

Although my mind is still boggling at A Prophet not winning Best Foreign Language film at last years Oscars, this is still a very worthy and rewarding winner.

Janck 4 stars (Feb 2011)




Academy Award Winner. Well paced Argentinian thriller, with sub-plots, twists and turns, and a reassuring darkness at the core.

Mitch 4 stars

Blue Valentine (2010)

Review to follow....


4 stars

The King's Speech (2010)

As we enter awards season I'd imagine Colin Firth et al. are all mastering speeches of their own.

Janck 4.5 stars (Jan 2011)





Review to follow....

Mitch 4 stars

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2009)

Cracking opening to a decent trilogy. No wonder the Hollywood remake is on the way.

4 stars

A Serious Man (2009)

Very Jewish, and very black.

4 stars

Crazy Heart (2009)

Can't help but feel for Jeff Bridges as 'Bad Blake' saddled with the country gee-tar, the womanising and the bottom of a whiskey bottle.


4 stars

The Cove (2009)

Flipper has so much to answer for.

Janck 3.5 stars (Apr 2010)





Powerful doco grabs your attention and leaves a lasting impression. Raw and emotive.


Mitch 4 stars

Chugyeogja (2008) aka "The Chaser"

Soon to be remade by the team that brought you The Departed screams the the cover.. screw that and just watch this version for another fine film to come out of Korea (it's no Oldboy tho).

Janck 4 stars (Aug '09)


Dark central themes and grisly violence are no strangers to Korean cinema, and The Chaser is no exception. Raw and energetic performances enliven this macabre tale.

Mitch 4 stars

A Single Man (2009)

Touching and poignant human drama dealing with one man's innermost thoughts and sense of loss. What could have been downbeat is actually cerebral, and a fine supporting cast combine well to give Colin Firth an Oscar nomination.

4 stars

Kick-Ass (2010)

If there was ever a film that needed a Lion essay review then here it is.. sweary kids, dark humour, and plenty of kick ass action make for a real knockout feature.

Janck 4 stars (Apr '10)


Funny and action-packed in equal measure, you cannot help but root for the introvert protagonist; duty bound to bring a new kind of superhero to the fore. Destined to annoy a legion of Daily Mail readers; I for one am hoping for a sequel.


Mitch 4 stars

Un prophète (2009) aka "A Prophet"

I often like to complain when a film is anything over 90 minutes long (if it's good enough for football then it's good enough for movies) but even at over two and a half hours long I didn't want A Prophet to end.. profonde douceur.

Janck 4.5 stars (Mar '10)


Gritty French prison drama which i wanted to love, but ending up liking a lot. Some superb performances are marred by a script this is meandering and, at times, unfocussed. Though do not let that detract from a solid drama that kills the rest of it's Hollywood peers.


Mitch 4 stars

Up in the Air (2009)

Sharp and witty, what's not to like?

Janck 4 stars (Jan '10)




Top flight drama with a 'just doing my job' George Clooney and a star-stealing performance from Anna Kendrik who was Oscar nominated in this role. Clever, fresh, recommended.

Mitch 4 stars

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

A ripping yarn, with a decent bromance to boot, which sets up the franchise nicely.

Janck 4 stars (Dec '09)


Better than expected Guy Ritchie vehicle (or horse and cart) in which Holmes and Watson have many a 19th Century adventure. Bravo.

Mitch 4 stars

Inception (2010)

Janck: Hurrah for the 'smart' summer blockbuster, but it ain't the classic fanboys will have you believe it is.

4 stars


Mitch: Thoroughly decent thriller that works on many levels. Lives up to the word-of-mouth hype, but it is not the immaculate inception.

4 stars

The Hurt Locker (2009)

Winner of 6 Oscars, this gritty portrayal of an Iraq-based US bomb squad simmers for the most part, with some interesting cameos to boot. But some of these characters are incredibly two-dimensional, a real surprise for a Best Picture winner. Well received by the masses; perhaps they missed out on the superb Generation Kill.


4 stars

Zombieland (2009)

A lot like a videogame, but not in a crappy CGI way, more in a good fun way.

Janck (Feb '10) 3.5 stars


Funny from start to finish, Zombieland delivers enough splatter, satire, and silliness to leave the viewer thoroughly entertained. All hail the introvert protagonist!

Mitch 4 stars

L'ennemi public n°1 (2008) aka "Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1"

Part deux doesn't disappoint, in fact I'd say it makes for a more coherent and exciting film.. probably the best film I've seen this year to date.

L'instinct de mort aka (2008) "Mesrine: Killer Instinct"

Vincent Cassel inhabits Mesrine with sufficient arrogant swagger and aplomb. Pumping film score, explosions, hot French girls, sex, guns 'n robbing banks. People who overlook foreign language movies because they ''don't do subtitles" are really missing out.

4 stars

Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Tarantino is back with this wartime offering, complete with lots of decent long scenes with achingly good dialogue. An international ensemble cast combines superbly; with special mention to Christoph Waltz who is Oscar Nominated. Bloody good fun.


4 stars