Top Ten: Book to Film Adaptations

You know I love films and I love books, so it kind of follows that I love films based on books. Sometimes the adaptations are quite poor and disappointing (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), much less often they improve on the source material (anything based on a Tom Clancy book) but just sometimes a great book leads to a great film…

August: Osage County

There’s a very specific kind of acting that I can’t stand. It’s over the top, it’s shouty, it’s showy, it’s very much aimed at getting awards. I refer to it as ACTING with all capital letters, when you speak about it you slip into a loud, plummy accent. ACTING darling, ACTING…

Saving Mr Banks

Having missed Saving Mr Banks first time round at the cinema I’m thoroughly grateful to Cineworld for their Take-Two Thursdays policy where a recent film gets a one day reshowing for those of us who have been a bit tardy in our viewing…

Top Ten: Oscar 2014 Snubs

The Oscar nominations were announced earlier and everyone has an opinion on them. Including, as it turns out, me. I haven’t seen all of the films nominated and with so many strong performances and the high level of technical craft on show I wouldn’t dream of second-guessing The Academy. Having said that…

Brave

One of the talking points of this year’s Oscars was whether or not the correct film won the Best Animated Feature category. Almost inevitably the Academy Award went to Pixar for their latest film – Brave. Fans of Aardman Animation’s The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists were outraged…

Love Actually

In the past couple of years there have been a number of ensemble films released focusing on a specific time of year or time in people’s lives – Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve and What to Expect When You’re Expecting are all been recent examples of the genre…