Mini Reviews
Men In Black 3 (out now) feels like it should have been so much better. It's not a "bad" movie but it feels like the characters are just going through the motions and the story lacks humour. On the plus side, Josh Brolin is great and so too is Jemaine Clement as the bad guy. Grade: B-.
The Woman In Black (out now) stars Daniel Radcliffe as a young lawyer who goes to a small village and finds himself unravelling a mystery involving ghosts and spooky noises. It'll keep your attention but it doesn't quite offer the "pay off" you might be expecting in the end. Solid production values. Grade: B.
Bel Ami (out May 24) is set in 19th Century Paris and stars Robert Pattison as a young journalist who uses his womanising charm to climb the social ladder and become a man of wealth and influence. It's an interesting premise but I found it a struggle to keep up with the changing mindset of each character. Grade: C+.
The Dictator (out May 17) is amusing but it had the potential for so much more. I enjoy Sacha Baron Cohen's offensive humour because there's often an intelligent, underlying subtext. That’s again the case here (highlighted by a great closing monologue) but admittedly to a lesser extent than Borat and Bruno. Grade: B-.
Iron Sky (out May 10) is a spoof comedy about Nazis who set up a base on the moon back in the 1940s and are now planning to attack the Earth. It's trying to use the absurd storyline to win laughs but there's only so far you can stretch this idea. A touch disappointing. Grade: B-.
Jiro Dreams Of Sushi (out May 10) is a scrumptious documentary about an 85-year-old sushi maker from Japan and his unmatched dedication to the craft of sushi making. His restaurant has just 10 seats but has been awarded 3 Michelin stars. If this film doesn't make you hungry, nothing will. Grade: A-.
Safe (out May 10) has a higher than average body count but it's still a stock-standard Jason Statham action film. In this effort, he finds himself protecting a young girl with valuable information. Two gangs and a corrupt police force are out to stop him. I'd be ok with this if it tried to offer something a little different... but it doesn't. Grade: C+.
Dark Shadows (out May 10) is disappointing. The lure of director Tim Burton and a half-decent trailer had me thinking this would be a sharp, witty black comedy. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. There were only a handful of genuine laughs… and that puts it on a par with Scary Movie 3. Deserving of praise are the gifted set decorators and make up artists. Grade: C+.
The King Of Devil's Island (out May 3) is a powerful, affecting film that left me wishing I could jump from my seat and help its suffering characters. It's set in the early 20th Century on a remote island in Norway where a group of troubled boys are subjected a brutal disciplinary regime before being allowed to re-enter society. It's amazing. Grade: A.
Trishna (out May 10) is loosely based on Thomas Hardy’s famous novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles and focuses on a young Indian woman from a poor family who is courted by a wealthy man with unclear intentions. There are some beautiful images of India but it’s the muddled storyline that lets the film down. Some of the character's actions are strange indeed. Grade: B-.
Delicacy (out May 3) is a peculiar French romantic comedy/drama about a relationship that develops between two work colleagues. I found the whole film monotonous and I had trouble understanding the growing connection between these characters. Grade: C+.
