A stand-up comedian doing a film about the life of a stand-up comedian seems very self-indulgent. That feeling is inescapable throughout the so-called romantic comedy/drama Manny Lewis. Popular comedian Carl Barron plays the title character, a droll, cynical, self-deprecating and often unlikeable stand-up comedian whose material often seems to be based on some disturbing child hood experiences. His off-stage life
Read more71 is a tense atmospheric and often moving drama set in Northern Ireland in 1971 as the so-called ‘troubles’ began to spiral out of control. Jack O’Connell (who recently starred in Unbroken) plays young naive British soldier Gary Hook who is hoping for a comfortable posting in Germany but finds himself thrust into the forbidding urban warzone of Belfast. As
Read moreThis week on ‘Built For Speed’ we take a look at the powerful new British film 71 which plunges us into the Northern Ireland ‘troubles’ in the early 1970’s. We also review the debut big screen release for Australian comedian Carl Barron, Manny Lewis. There’s also plenty of fine music with great new tracks from Aussie bands such as the
Read moreThe con-artist movie is such a well-worn genre that the scams and deceptions that drive them are often a little too predictable. It’s refreshing then that’s Focus starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie contains a few surprises. Add to this some seductive lead performances, opulent style and propulsive energy and this is one of the better additions to the con-artist
Read moreThe Connection Set in mostly in Marseilles from the early 1970’s to the 1980’s the tense and exciting true-crime drama The Connection describes, from a French, as opposed to an American perspective, the story behind the infamous French Connection drug syndicate. Jean Dujardin plays uncompromising police magistrate Pierre Michel who transfers from juvenile crime – where he has witnessed the
Read moreAnother packed show on ‘Built For Speed” this week as we tell you all about the new Will Smith/ Margot Robbie caper film Focus and the crime drama The Kidnapping of Mr Heineken which stars Anthony Hopkins and Sam Worthington. We also look at some more films featuring in the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival. There’s plenty of fine tunes
Read more