178. Desert Dancer; movie review

DESERT DANCER
Cert 15
102 mins
BBFC advice: Contains drug use, moderate violence

The true story of Afshin Ghaffarian is so fascinating that it really doesn't need to be meddled with.
So why have the makers of Desert Dancer left out Mulheim an der Ruhr in Germany, a city close to my heart, when it was so pivotal to his story?
Instead it has been replaced, for absolutely no good reason, with Paris.
I'm sorry but I feel I should start a campaign around the needless changing of facts in movies which are based on true stories.
Of course, I understand the need for dramatic embellishment because it means a movie can attract bigger audiences but what was there to gain from changing a small German city to a big French one?
Ghaffarian's story begins in Iran where he grew up and became interested in dance as a schoolboy.
However, his passion was frowned upon by the strict Iranian authorities who feel that dance offends their religious laws.
Richard Raymond's film then cuts to a few years later when Ghaffarian sets up a secret dance group at his university in Tehran.
And, he doubly risks clashing with the authorities by joining the rallies in support of the reformist presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
Their political views see him and his friends receive brutal beatings but his plans for the dance group to perform publicly, albeit in the desert, could lead to him being imprisoned.
Desert Dancer has a compelling narrative with the constant need for secrecy over what we would take for granted in the west.
Reece Ritchie is a passionate lead, alongside Freida Pinto. The two also join together for some nifty dance work and there is a parallel plot about drug addiction.
So where does Mulheim/Paris play a part in Ghaffarian's history? You will need to watch the movie to find out.

Reasons to watch: engrossing true story
Reasons to avoid: some of the suspense could have been ratcheted up

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 7/10

Star tweet

Freida Pinto ‏@BecauseImFreida  10 Apr 2015

Tonight!! Go see Desert Dancer in the cinema. Don't wait!! Based on a fantastic true story! Let me know what you think!! X

177. Huntsman - Winter's War; movie review

THE HUNTSMAN - WINTER'S WAR
Cert 12A
117 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, threat, moderate bad language

Four years ago, Mrs W and I were in Hollywood and at the AMC just off the boulevard, we watched Snow White & The Huntsman.
The tickets cost us $16 apiece and, even though it was an experience to see a movie in such prestigious surroundings, we were disappointed.
This is the reason I have put off our visit to the less upmarket Nottingham Cineworld to see its sequel. Frankly, we were not looking forward to it.
However, we found Cedric Nicolas-Troyan's movie was surprisingly exciting and much superior to its predecessor.
Emily Blunt makes a delicious villain - an ice queen who rounds up a kingdom's children to be trained as her ruthless army as she takes the wrath of losing a baby child out on anyone who stands in her way.
Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain play two of the children who have now grown up to become the ice queen's fiercest warriors.
However, she has banned love so when she spots them falling for each other she intervenes cruelly and sets off a chain of events which leads to war across the lands.
Blunt excels in villainy as does Charlize Theron who plays her even more dastardly sister.
Hemsworth is the typical square-jawed hero but I was a bit bemused by his and Chastain's strange Scottish accents,
They are backed up by a bunch of misfit dwarves, led by the spunky Sheridan Smith and including Rob Brydon and Nick Frost although I was not sure why real dwarves were not hired.
However, the quality of the acting, although very decent, comes secondary to the eye-catching actionsscenes and ice cold special effects.
The Huntsman - Winter's War will not feature in my top 20 of the year but I was pleased to emerge from it with a smile on face.

Reasons to watch: so much more exciting than its predecessor
Reasons to avoid: the bizarre Scottish accents

Laughs: a couple of chuckles
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 8/10

Star tweet

Chris HemsworthVerified account‏@chrishemsworth

I'm a cheap date so I only take my wife to movies where I can get free tickets. #huntsman #cheapskate

176. The Choice; Movie review

THE CHOICE
Cert 12A
109 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate sex references, rude gesture

Oh, my life. After watching Ross Katz's The Choice I felt as if I had overdosed on a combo of cheese and sugar.
Its beautiful people, its corny dialogue and its laughable finale added up to what would usually have been a made-for-TV romantic weepie.
Benjamin Walker plays smooth vet, Travis, who falls for the doctor Gabby (Teresa Palmer) who moves into a perfect house next to his perfect house overlooking a perfect lake above a perfect sky.
But 100% perfection is proving hard to achieve for our Travis because the target of his affection is already hooked up with a fellow medic (Tom Welling) who also happens to have a chiseled jaw, a ultra-white smile and chest and shoulders as big as Arnie Schwarzenegger's.
However, despite the allure of her current beau, Gabby falls for Travis and his jaunty chat-up lines.
And nobody seems to mind. Yes, all of Travis's pals and family take to her, despite knowing that she is already promised elsewhere. Clearly in Perfectland, infidelity is just fine.
Then something bad happens, as you just knew it would, followed by much soul-searching.
It is akin to the dot-to-dot book of weepies saved only by a few minutes in the company of Tom Wilkinson who plays Travis's dad. He actually looks like a real person.
And that's it. Gnash your teeth if you like it but The Choice to watch this movie was a bad one, in my opinion.

Reasons to watch: if you are into schmaltzy romances
Reasons to avoid: too many rich beautiful people to be believed

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 3.5/10

Star tweet

Teresa Palmer ‏@teresapalmer  Feb 14

Who's going to see "The Choice" for Valentine's Day tomorrow? I might see u there, I got a date with @likemark to see it!

175. Two Countries; movie review

TWO COUNTRIES
Cert 12A
154 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent moderate bad language, violence

I know Two Countries is one of the biggest box office hits in the history of Malayalam cinema but this does not prevent me from stating alcoholism is no joke.
My sister-in-law drank herself to death before she was 40 so I know exactly what the tragic effects of this addiction can be.
It is neither a laughing matter nor an illness which can be easily shrugged off.
Most of the gags during Shafi's film come from the battle with the booze of one of its main characters.
Mamta Mohandas plays Laya who attracts the chancer Ullas Kumar (Dileep) to marry her and fly off to Canada even though he had been betrothed to a disabled girl back in India.
However, on the first night of their marriage she turns to the bottle and his life becomes a rollercoaster thereafter.
One of the features I found strangest about Laya was that she had kept her startling good looks at all times of day despite her addiction. Her idea of disheveled would be everyone else's beauty queen.
That is just one example of my irritation with the storyline which detracted from almost every other element of the movie.
I should not forget the comedy double act between Dileep and Aju Varghese who plays his best pal and the poignancy when Ullas really tries to help Laya beat her illness.
However, overall, Two Countries' central plank jarred too much for me to appreciate what else it was trying to say.

Reasons to watch: wacky Indian comedy
Reasons to avoid: its mockery of alcoholism

Laughs: a couple of chuckles
Jumps: none
Vomit: yes
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 4/10

Star tweet

Mamta Mohandas ‏@mamtamohan  23 Dec 2015

#TwoCountries.. Just 1 Day away from coming to the theatres near you Excited !!!

174. Fifty Shades Of Black; movie review

FIFTY SHADES OF BLACK
Cert 15
90 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong sex references

It's an everyfilm hat-trick.
Michael Tiddes and Marlon Wayans' previous two films both scored a pitiful 1.5/10 and here they have made a movie which is even worse.
And yet, if the figures on Wikipedia are correct, it has already made four times its $5 million budget.
Tiddes and Wayans will be laughing all the way to the bank which is more than I did during their entire film.
The very concept of a spoof of one of the dullest pictures of 2015 was an odd one.
They use their take-off of Fifty Shades Of Grey to splatter the screen with an array of reverse jokes about black people.
I just don't get this.
I have been brought up to find the n-word deeply offensive and yet it is used liberally, black people are stereotyped as thieves and women are mocked throughout.
Should I believe that because it is presented by a black cast, this should suddenly be funny? It ain't.
For the record Wayans plays Christian Black, a multi-millionaire who gets his kicks from sadism.
He lures an upstanding young woman (Kali Hawk) to be his plaything, providing she signs a contract which contains some very explicit detail.
Oh, and this film handles its nudity with prosthetics. That's right - these so-called edgy comedians haven't even got the guts to go naked.
Frankly, Fifty Shades Of Black is worth few more words.
I am shocked that Wayans and Tiddes still attract enough of an audience to ensure that more of this garbage will be coming soon to a screen near you.

Reasons to watch: can't think of any
Reasons to avoid: the most unfunny 'comedy' I have seen in a long time

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: prosthetic nudity
Overall rating: 1/10

173. The Jungle Book; movie review

THE JUNGLE BOOK
Cert PG
106 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild threat

These were worrying times. I was brought up on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book and adored the wonderful Disney cartoon.
By updating what has always seemed perfect, I feared that Disney would tarnish my golden memories.
Thankfully, it didn't. Jon Favreau's picture will capture the imagination of a new generation.
But this is not The Jungle Book that we knew because it is so intense I was surprised it was granted a PG certificate by the BBFC.
The latter's citation states that the film contains 'mild threat'. I thought the levels of aggression were much greater.
Indeed, I began to wonder at which age group the movie was aimed because I would have thought it might scare younger children.
Favreau has stylishly mixed high-quality CGI with one real-life character, Mowgli, played with great gusto by Neel Sethi.
The Jungle Book follows the familiar Disney story, even throwing in a couple of hints at famous songs such as Bare Necessities and I'm The King Of The Swingers.
But some of its key characters are darker than those we are used to.
These include Shere Khan (voiced by Idris Elba) who wants to kill Mowgli in revenge for his father injuring him in the past.
In addition, Kaa the snake (Scarlett Johansson) is more scary that in the 1967 film, as is King Louie (voiced with menace by Christopher Walken).
These are offset by the caring Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) and the jovial and laid back Baloo (the perfectly cast Bill Murray)
What cannot be denied is that The Jungle Book is a spectacular adventure and I must echo thoughts of critics who have marvelled at young Sethi's performance which is all the better when one realises he acted most of the film in front of a green screen.
Add to the latter, the fact that he is very young and this is his first feature and it becomes remarkable.
In my view, Mowgli rather than the incredible CGI, is the key to children's enjoyment of The Jungle Book. They will be urging him on and will find his heroics spellbinding.
We watched it in sense-tingling IMAX at Nottingham Cineworld.

Reasons to watch: the superb special effects
Reasons to avoid: it is much darker than the famous animation

Laughs: none
Jumps: one
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Star tweet

Neel Sethi ‏@TheNeelSethi  Apr 18

Neel Sethi Retweeted Bert Anderson

It feels awesome and crazy cool! Thank you everyone!! #AmIdreaming #JungleBook

Neel Sethi added,

Bert Anderson @FirstTimeMomMN

@TheNeelSethi How do you feel starring in the #1 box office film this weekend? Way to rock it! #JungleBookEvent

21 retweets132 likes

172. The Monkey King 2; movie review

THE MONKEY KING 2
Cert 12A
119 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence

Back in the 1970s, the BBC broadcasted a children's TV programme called Monkey.
It was based on a Chinese novel, Journey To The West, which had been adapted by the Japanese and then was dubbed for British audiences.
Nowadays, people of a certain age will say how much they enjoyed the brash lead character who was part magician, part fighter,
But I just didn't get it. It was way too exotic and off-beam for my tastes.
Spin on four decades and I had exactly the same feeling about Cheang Pou-soi's Chinese film, Monkey King 2, based on the same story.
Time has moved on so this Monkey is even more flamboyant than his 1970s predecessor and the special effects are far more impressive but it still didn't light my candle.
However, I am aware that these type of movies have a substantial following and I can see why,
Aaron Kwok plays the Monkey King who is escorting a Buddist monk (Feng Shaofeng) on a vital mission to deliver holy scriptures.
In their way is the shape-shifting, white boned demon (Gong Li) who intends to eat the monk to make her immortal.
But before she picks up her chopsticks she has to deal with Monkey whose aggressive streak means he kills anyone he suspects of being a potential threat.
Interestingly, this puts him at odds with the pacifist monk who he is trying to protect.
But let's not be carried away by the nuances of the plot. Monkey King 2 is a fantasy action movie which sees our hero pitted against a CGI tiger, dragon and many others.
As said, there will be those who love it but it left me a bit cold.

Reasons to watch: the flying-through-the-air battle scenes
Reasons to avoid: the early part of the movie is quite difficult to follow

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 5/10

171. Power In Our Hands; movie review

POWER IN OUR HANDS
Cert PG
75 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent mild sex references

A very good friend of ours has deaf parents and, even though she has full hearing, has been brought up in the close community so well reflected in Power In Our Hands,
Angela Spielsinger's documentary chronicles the fight for equal rights of deaf people through the 20th century up to the present day.
It contains archive footage to accompany interviews with the movement's key players and these act as the movie's narrative.
Nowadays, disability legislation means there is an entitlement for users surrounding British Sign Language interpreters.
But to arrive at this point, deaf people have had to fight hard and show a great deal of imagination.
The film, commissioned by the British Deaf Association, is uplifting but, at times, a little shocking because of the discrimination which those with hearing impairments have had to face.
However, there is also much joy as contributors recall the camaraderie of their community down the years,
Their battle for equal rights has been led by some inspiring characters and all are remembered with great fondness.
Power In Our Hands is aimed at deaf people but, as someone is fortunate to be able to hear, I still found it a fascinating insight.

Reasons to watch: Fascinating insight into the deaf world
Reasons to avoid: Probably aimed more at the community than the hearing

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 7/10

Star tweet

Lilian GreenwoodVerified account ‏@LilianGreenwood  Feb 28

V moving to see 'Power in Our Hands' - documentary on Deaf community's fight for equality - with largely Deaf audience at @BroadwayCinema

170. The Witch; movie review

THE WITCH
Cert 15
93 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong threat, violence

There has been quite a lot of hype around The Witch but, sadly, it fell short of my pre-movie anticipation.
To be fair to Robert Eggers, his debut film has an original concept and is well executed but I didn't find it as scary or even as creepy as its fans have claimed.
The Witch is set in the 17th century and focuses on a Puritan family who have been exiled from their community and have set up their new home next to a large forest.
Shortly after arriving, the family's matriarch (Kate Dickie) gives birth but soon after her baby son disappears.
Inevitably, this causes great angst among his parents and the remaining four children who fear there maybe some connection with malevolence in the forest.
Ralph Ineson plays the upstanding and very strict father who struggles to keep control of his often wilful brood.
Anya Taylor-Joy plays Thomasin the eldest child who seems to have something about the night.
But is she really a witch and is she to blame for the baby's disappearance?
These are questions which are at the heart of the movie and there are so many twists that my answers changed many times.
The Witch certainly creates a mood which I can see would be effective in scaring some cinema-goers but, while recognising its qualities, I just didn't feel the intended vibe.

Reasons to watch: Unusual and dramatic historical drama
Reasons to avoid: The concentration on old-world language in distracting

Laughs: none
Jumps: one
Vomit: none
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 6/10

Star tweet

James Wan ‏@creepypuppet  Feb 22

Of all the indie/festival horror hits in recent years, #TheWitch is the one to live up to its buzz. This movie permeates evil. So darn good

169. Couple In A Hole; movie review

COUPLE IN A HOLE
Cert 12A
103 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, animal butchery

Yet again there is good reason to be cheered by the high quality of low budget, independent movie-making.
Tom Geens' Couple In A Hole begins unpromisingly with barely a word spoken between the two key players, John (Paul Higgins) and Karen (Kate Dickie).
He scavenges for food to take back to his wife who emerges so rarely from their claustrophobic woodland habitat that she is has to stand upright in painful stages.
But why are they living such a basic life when a small town is walking distance away?
If I reveal those answers I would be in danger of giving away key surprise elements to the plot.
In my view, the very gradual introduction of the couple's back story central to the success of the movie so I shall say no more about it.
But I can add that Higgins is excellent as the practical husband who is desperate to please a wife who clearly has a mental disorder,
Meanwhile, Dickie proves again what a varied range she has she is by wringing every drop of emotion out of her character.
The fine detail of Couple In A Hole is essential to its success. The intricacies surrounding basic survival certainly grabbed my attention.
But then these fade into the background as the more details emerge of why the couple are living in a hole.
Geens' film is a slow burn but it is certainly worth perseverance


Reasons to watch: original, engaging drama
Reasons to avoid: may be too offbeat for some

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: yes
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Star tweet

Alison Moyet ‏@AlisonMoyet  Apr 9

#CoupleInAHole An astonishing film by Tom Geens. Tremendous soundtrack courtesy of #BEAK> Big recommend.

168. Iona; movie review

IONA
Cert 15
83 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong sex

My life has been in a bit of turmoil lately so I had to hire Iona out for the second time on itunes, having only been able to watch its opening 20 minutes a couple of weeks ago.
And I am glad I did because this low-budget movie moved on from a rather sedate beginning to a crushing finale.
Scott Graham's film stars the impressive Ruth Negga as the title character who was named on the island of her birth.
More than 15 years after a swift departure in her teens, she is back with her son (Ben Gallagher) who doesn't look a lot younger than her.
Immediately, there is an strange undercurrent among the community.
Her father (Douglas Henshall) is glad to take her in but clearly there is past which must be reconciled.
The situation is then complicated further when her sister's disabled daughter (Sorcha Groundsell) develops a crush on her son.
This is Graham's second picture after the intriguing Shell which also used Scottish remoteness and solitude to fine effect.
There is a similar pattern here of bubbling emotions being held in check but I feel there is a bit more depth to Iona which is why I have given it an extra mark.
Now I would like a major producer to give Graham a chance. He is a talent who deserves a shot at the big time.

Reasons to watch: powerful drama with a remote and beautiful setting
Reasons to avoid: its gradual build-up is a tad frustrating  

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: briefly
Overall rating: 7/10

Star tweet

Douglas Henshall ‏@djhenshall  Mar 24

Iona opens tomorrow across the UK. It's a small release. It's a small film. But it has a mighty heart. Support Indy filmmakers. Go see it.

167. Michael Collins; movie review

MICHAEL COLLINS
Cert 15
132 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong violence, strong language

Here's a film I didn't get to watch during the cultural desert which was my children's early years.
So, I was pleased that I had the opportunity to catch up with the 2016 re-release of Neil Jordan's Michael Collins.
This biopic stars Liam Neeson as one of the leading figures in the battle for Irish independence more than 100 years ago.
Michael Collins fought to oust the British, being described in the film as the secret Irish cabinet's "minister for gun-running, daylight robbery, and general mayhem".
But he also comes across as a charmer who has the intelligence to put strong views at the table of politicians.
This often leads him to cross metaphorical swords with his president-in-waiting, Eamon De Valera (Alan Rickman).
Jordan's movie is an engrossing action pic with a modicum of politics and a pinch of romance, provided by a strangely low-key Julia Roberts.
Neeson attacks the role like a pirate cutting a swathe and has uncanny resemblance to the real Collins.
But I have to point out the rather distracting accents of him, Roberts and Rickman.
To be fair to Rickman, I have listened to a speech by the real De Valera and he has an unusual tone which the actor tries hard to muster but doesn't quite crack.
I have also read that this film plays fast and loose with historical fact. However, I have since read up on the period and the key elements are all reasonably faithful.
Indeed, I was so rapt that this movie absolutely zipped by.

Reasons to watch: Engrossing true story
Reasons to avoid: The weird accents of the non-Irish

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Star tweet

Brian Lally ‏@BrianLally  Apr 10

Such a pleasure to be at the 20th anniversary screening of "Michael Collins" today in the Savoy, introduced by Liam Neeson & Neil Jordan

166. Our Little Sister (Umimachi Diary); movie review

OUR LITTLE SISTER (UMIMACHI DIARY)
Cert PG
127 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent mild bad language

Having previously watched the abstract High Rise, I found Hirokazu Koreeda's Our Little Sister to be the polar opposite.
This is a gentle, believable Japanese drama, centred on a fractured family, brought together following a funeral.
Haruka Ayase plays a capable young woman who is left to look after her two younger sisters after their father and, separately, their mother have left home.
She and her siblings (Masami Nagasawa and Kaho) attend their dad's funeral where they meet their 14-year-old half sister (Suzu Hirose) and, thereafter, invite her to move in with them.
The meat of the movie then focuses on the developing dynamic between the sisters.
I am an only child so Our Little Sister did not have as powerful effect on me as it would on those with brothers or sisters but I could see parallels to the interaction between my two adult children.
The relationships between each of the four, particularly the elder two, are skilfully drawn with deep-seated love always winning through the toughest moments.
Ayase impresses as the senior sister who manages to juggle the pressures of duty at home and at work, while Hirose is breezy as the soccer-playing teenager who embraces her new life with gusto and good grace.
This is another film which offers the chance to explore Japanese culture and prompted me to want to save up and make a long overdue visit to the land of the rising sun.
But Our Little Sister will not be for everyone. It offers little in the way of concrete action. Instead, it relies on the observations of family life.

Reasons to watch: offers an insight into Japanese culture
Reasons to avoid: will be too light for many tastes

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 6/10

165. High Rise; movie review

HIGH RISE
Cert 15
119 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong violence, sex, very strong language

"I'm giving that nought out of ten", said one of the quartet of middle-aged women as they departed Derby Quad's box screen.
I knew what they meant but I also understood why the boundary-pushing Ben Wheatley's High Rise had been critically acclaimed.
This is a film for movie intelligentsia - those who bathe in the art of cinema and don't worry about whether it appeals to the wider public.
Its imagery is so dazzling that I could imagine it playing in the Tate. However, I am a common fella and I have to confess it lulled me to nod off a couple of times.
High Rise is an adaptation of J.G. Ballard's 1975 novel in which tribal warfare breaks out in a block of flats.
It is an allegory of the battle between the classes who live on different levels of the building, depending on their social status and chucked in are plenty of eye-catching 1970s references, a dollop of free love and some extreme violence.
Oh, and some quality acting.
Tom Hiddleston plays Robert Laing who has newly moved into the block designed by a renown architect (Jeremy Irons) who is among those who live at the top of the building.
Irons becomes a central character because the initial friction among the residents surrounds the technical faults which begin to emerge in the block.
And Laing's relationship with him becomes complex because he beds his flirtatious aide (Sienna Miller).
This description makes High Rise seem very straightforward. It isn't. It is what most people would consider to be weird.
And for that reason I struggled with it despite recognising why it would have its fans.

Reasons to watch: very attractive on the eye and superbly acted
Reasons to avoid: so off-the-wall it sent me to sleep

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 4/10

Star tweet

Tom Hiddleston ‏@twhiddleston  Mar 17

.@_fearistheenemy @HighRise_movie #AskTom Human nature is too diverse and chaotic to be contained and controlled from above.

164. Eddie The Eagle; movie review

EDDIE THE EAGLE
Cert PG
108 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild sex references, mild bad language

Everyone of a certain age remembers Eddie The Eagle Edwards, the underdog ski-jumper who represented Great Britain at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
But the strange thing is that I don't recall his story being quite like the one represented in Dexter Fletcher's film.
And that is because it wasn't. Eddie The Eagle is an entertaining movie but anyone watching it needs to know it is almost entirely fiction.
The film begins during Edwards' school days when he becomes obsessed with becoming an Olympian despite having no obvious sporting talent.
Therefore, he tries many fields of endeavour before alighting on ski jumping, much to the disapproval of his father (Keith Allen) and the British Olympic Association,.
To reach the Calgary games, he is required to meet the standard and to do so he, without any experience whatsoever, enters European competitions against the continent's elite.
On the way, he meets a former ski-jump star (Hugh Jackman) who emerges from alcoholism to coach him.
The film is a bit cheesy but nonetheless engaging with Taron Egerton a naive but determined Eddie, alonsgide Jackman's seen-it-all-before coach and Tim McInnery as the stereotypical Olympic Association chief who thinks Edwards is besmirching his country's name.
So, Eddie The Eagle is one of those 70s-style family feelgood movies which will leave audiences feeling warm.
In reality, Edwards was a quality skier who was in the pre-Olympic squad in 1984 before he took up jumping with the backing of the British team.
I just felt the truth was fascinating enough and did not need great swathes being made up.

Reasons to watch: engaging, inoffensive old-style movie
Reasons to avoid: it is almost entirely fiction

Laughs: two
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 7/10

 

Hugh JackmanVerified account‏@RealHughJackman

A massive amount of love and pride for this man, director @Dexfletch !! @EddieEagleMovie @TaronEgerton

163. The Brand New Testament (Le tout nouveau testament); movie review

THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT (LE TOUT NOUVEAU TESTAMENT)
Cert 15
112 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sex, sex references, nudity

Lately, I have been bursting with apologies for the slow service of everyfilm reviews.
Well, now the cat is out of the bag. I am leaving my day job and the period leading to that announcement has been rather hectic.
The good news is that I have more time to give to my passion for movies.
My updated reviews start with Jaco Van Dormael's unusual comedy, The Brand New Testament, which pokes some fun at the concept of God.
In his film, the Almighty (Benoit Poelvoorde) lives in Brussels with his downtrodden wife (Yolande Moreau) and their their impish daughter, Ea (Pili Groyne).
But this God is foul-mouthed and angry and wears a check shirt, long shorts, white socks and sandals.
His day job is to run people's lives through a computer in a room which is strictly off limits to anyone else.
However, Ea breaks in and literally changes the world by sending everyone their designated death dates by text to their mobile phones.
She then decides that she wants to follow the path of her brother Jesus and go among the people, gathering disciples.
The Brand New Testament throws in the fascinating prospect of us knowing the date of our own demise in parallel to how a second coming would be received.
There are comparisons to Monty Python's Life Of Brian, particularly in Poelvoorde's performance as an erratic God.
But the comedy is softened by Ea who, while wiser than her years, is also innocent enough to be the perfect counterbalance to her father.
And this all comes with the typical quirkiness of Belgian and French comedies such as Micmacs.
The Brand New Testament is witty and original and its performances are well-pitched. I didn't find it laugh-out-loud funny but I spent most of its 112 minutes with a smile on my face.

Reasons to watch: witty and original
Reasons: not laugh-out loud funny

Laughs: a few chuckles
Jumps: none
Vomit: yes
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Star tweet

 Thomas Gunzig Retweeted

Dublin Film Festival ‏@DublinFilmFest  Mar 1

Best Screenplay went to Jaco Van Dormael and Thomas Gunzig for The Brand New Testament at the #ADIFF16 DFCC Awards