With their mix of sci fi and espionage film inventiveness, loveable quirky characters and violent slapstick humour, the Despicable Me/ Minions films have been some of the most fun and beloved animated movies of recent years. The last film in this franchise, Minions: The Rise of Gru, was particularly appealing to the all-important Gen-Xers with its groovy 1970’s vibe and
Read moreBased on the combined biographies of author Nic Sheff and his father David, Beautiful Boy potently depicts Nick’s descent into methamphetamine addiction. Rising star Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name, Ladybird) plays Nic, an intelligent aspiring writer who, as a teenager, is still trying to come to terms with his father David’s (Steve Carell) break-up with his mother Vicki
Read moreThe Big Short sounds like the title of a caper comedy and in a sense it is although the caper is a particularly dubious one, the multi-billion dollar exploitation of a dysfunctional and seemingly corrupt financial system by greedy unscrupulous bond traders that led to the GFC and the financial devastation of millions of working people in 2008. Directed by
Read moreThe riveting true-crime drama Foxcatcher explores the strange and catastrophic relationship between champion American wrestling brothers Dave (Mark Ruffalo) and Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and their disturbed patron, du Pont chemical company head John du Pont (Steve Carrell). Mark Schultz won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the LA Olympics in ’84 but neither lucrative endorsements nor regular income
Read moreThe Ron Burgundy Anchorman films are the contemporary equivalent of the Austen Powers movies; heavily art-directed, retro-themed pop-cultural parodies where a naïve, politically-incorrect but lovable central character manages to triumph despite his overwhelming stupidity. The first Anchorman film was a fun, endearing fitfully amusing satire of 1970’s sexism and the news reading profession that allowed Will Ferrell to gloriously indulge
Read moreThe lightweight comedy/drama The Way Way Back is an archetypal “shy teen comes-of-age” film. As such, the storyline and many of the characters seem very familiar as if they were plucked from other movies but this doesn’t diminish this film’s considerable charm. For a relatively small, low-key film, it features a remarkable cast of name actors including Steve Carrell, Toni
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