-
Review of Alejandro Iñárritu’s Birdman
In 2008, Jean-Claude Van Damme appeared as an unflattering version of himself in JCVD, a washed-up film star unable to find work who returns to Belgium and finds that a misunderstanding during a post-office heist helps revitalise his career. It's a pretty good film, and there's a lot of similarity between it and Birdman, which sees Michael Keaton playing an equally-unflattering version of himself as a washed-up former comic book film star trying to put on a Serious Play in a bid for relevance. →
-
Review of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson's films aren't for everyone; some find them cold and alienatingly whimsical. If you don't get on with his style, watching a film of his must feel a little bemusing; if you can't empathise, you'd be left wondering what the point of any of it was. Myself, I've always been a fan, but watching Moonrise Kingdom made me feel how it must be to watch any of his other films without getting it. All the key elements were there -- hipster soundtrack, fairytale settings, lovely typefaces, Bill Murray -- but the whole thing left me cold. →
-
Some thoughts on The Avengers
Comic-Con saw confirmation that Joss Whedon is to be the director of Marvel's upcoming The Avengers, an attempt at pulling off what is commonplace in the comic world; bringing headline stars from various comics into one single whole. →