Film Review | August: Osage County
★★★☆☆
There is something innately relatable about family dysfunction. Whether you’re part of a tight knit brood or only meet up for holidays, disagreements are inevitable. Sometimes those encounters are flippant, and other times they can be decidedly more hurtful. An adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer and Tony-Prize winning play, August: Osage County is very much of the latter variety. Though it’s not helped by John Wells’ workmanlike direction, the razor sharp dialogue combined with supreme acting prove just enough to compensate.
Film Review | The Fifth Estate
★★★★☆
Directed by Bill Condon and based on two novels – one by Wikileaks partner Daniel Berg, the other by Guardian journalist David Leigh – The Fifth Estate is an enjoyable dramatisation of the tumultuous rise of whistleblowing website Wikileaks and the relationship between its two founders. The film opens with the now infamous release of classified US military information before rewinding to the first meeting between Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Berg (Daniel Bruhl). As Wikileaks’ popularity grows in the wake of its public unmaskings, the friendship between its two creators sours as they clash over Wikileaks’ mission and morals.
Read the rest of this review at Flicks and the City here.
Film Trailer | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
We’re now entering the final quarter of the year, and although there are many great-looking films yet to be released, only a few will be more hotly anticipated than the second instalment of Peter Jackson’s pre-Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013). Following the character banners that have been revealed in the past few days, a second full-length trailer has surfaced online, giving us a tantalising glimpse of this big-budget December blockbuster.
Film Trailer | 12 Years A Slave
Often said to be America’s ‘original sin’, slavery is a topic which has formed the basis of many a powerful drama. Most recently, Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg have each analysed the subject in their own unique ways in Django Unchained (2012) and Lincoln (2012) respectively, and the next to do so will be Steve McQueen. After garnering acclaim for Hunger (2008) and sex addiction drama Shame (2012), the director’s latest endeavour, 12 Years a Slave (2013), will see him tackle the oft-examined topic in typically candid fashion, with the first trailer released online earlier this week.
Film Review | Star Trek into Darkness
J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot was a surprise hit back in 2009, satisfying diehard fans as well as being accessible to newcomers. Four years on, the follow-up Star Trek into Darkness is one of the most anticipated films of the year. Thankfully, the sequel takes everything that was great about its predecessor and amplifies it, in doing so producing an entertaining thrill-ride of a movie that is one of 2013’s must-see blockbusters.
Film Feature | Star Trek Into Darkness Press Conference
The UK release of J.J. Abrams eagerly anticipated Star Trek Into Darkness is only seven days away. Ahead of this evening’s London premiere, the cast, director and writers gathered in City Hall for a press conference where there was talk of the challenges of making a bigger and better sequel, Scottish accents, and hairstyles.
To read the rest of this article at Yin & Yang, click here.
Film Trailer | Star Trek Into Darkness
As the annual summer blockbuster season draws ever nearer, more and more previously confidential information on some of this year’s biggest releases are now beginning to be revealed. The latest to get in on the act is J. J. Abrams’ sci-fi sequel Star Trek into Darkness (2013). It seems more than likely that Abrams, who will now also be directing Star Wars: Episode VII, won’t be returning for any future Star Trek sequels, such is the competition between the two rival franchises. However, everything we have seen thus far suggests that he’ll be leaving this current franchise on a high, and a mouth-watering second full-length trailer released online today gives further credence to the early impressions.
Film Trailer | Star Trek into Darkness
As 2012 draws to a close – some might argue a disappointing year for the big budget Hollywood blockbuster – the first pieces of promotional material for the prominent releases of summer 2013 are already being unveiled online this week. The latest is the first mouthwatering teaser trailer for J. J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), a direct sequel to the impressive Star Trek (2009) that successfully revitalised the ailing sci-fi franchise. Images from the set revealed that British actor Benedict Cumberbatch would play the sequel’s central antagonist. What’s more, the full trailer will be released online next week, but today we have our first look courtesy of a short teaser – and it’s certainly a tantalising one.
Watch the trailer for Star Trek into Darkness at CineVue here.
Film Review | Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is not your typical spy film. You won’t find Gary Oldman’s George Smiley engaging in fisticuffs with evil men, or saying a cool line after offing a villain. Action has been replaced with words – a lot of words – resulting in an absorbing, if at times slow-paced, whodunnit of a film which unfolds in meticulous fashion.
Read the rest of the review on Yin & Yang here
AMONymous 