Because Everybody Else Has One

Just one of those I wish I liked more. Sadly, this isn't the only film this week to suffer from that. This review is also up at Channel 24 . What it's about The true story of a young mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar (Dev Patel), who was plucked from obscurity and poverty in the city of Madras, India to work side by side at Cambridge University with famed mathematician G.H Hardy (Jeremy Irons) mere months before the outbreak of the first World War. What we thought The Man Who Knew Infinity is that odd sort of film that as plenty going for it, yet just steadfastly refuses to add up to something truly satisfying. Following the model of films like a Beautiful Mind and the Imitation Game almost to a tee, this particular true story of a mathematical genius outsider has some wonderful performances, often witty dialogue and the kind of true story at its heart that may by now be somewhat familiar thanks to the above-mentioned films but is still well worth k...

I'm on holiday so this s going to be short but I didn't want to let Foxcatcher come and go without leaving my own two cents on the matter. Foxcatcher tells the true story of an eccentric millionaire, John du Pont and his relationship with a pair of Olympic Champion Wrestling brothers as he enlists them to help bring the American team, of which he has become chief benefactor, to the top of the 1988 Seoul games. This is not, however, the kind of feel-good, inspirational sports drama that these sorts of things tend to be but a very dark character study of two very unlikeable men who are joined together by perhaps more than their professional aspirations. Unfortunately, while I remain a fan of both of director Bennett Miller's previous cinematic outings, Moneyball and Capote, I unfortunately don't share the love that most critics seem to have for Foxcatcher. Part of the problem I have with it is what I like to call "Raging Bull syndrome" in that however muc...

Just in time for my look at this week's movies, a look back at the films that came out last week. Oh, but first a  Channel 24 review. And, no, I'm not giving it it's own post. It doesn't deserve one.  What it's about Surly, a wily squirrel has been expelled from his park community but while he wonders the scary city streets, he comes across a nut store with all the nuts he and his park brethren will need to survive the winter. What Surly doesn't know though is that the nut shop is actually a front for a bank robbery by a gang of human criminals. What we thought Just about the only good thing to be said about the Nut Job is that it has some perfectly OK character designs and its animation in general is quite nice. Other than that, this third-rate, Loony Toons rip-off will quickly be forgotten by its target audience(kids still watch Loony Toons, right?), while their parents will be left wondering just how in the hell they got stuck watching a kids f...

Man, am I ever going to get this blog back on track... Anyway, I think it's pretty fitting that I am reviewing a film about a great filmmaker the day after a great film critic died. I'm not going to try and do justice to the great Roger Ebert, a brilliant film critic and writer in general, as well as seemingly a pretty top-notch guy - I will leave that to those far more qualified than I - but I couldn't not mention the passing of so a giant a presence within my chosen (semi?) professional field.  This review is also up at Channel 24 . What it's about As famed director Alfred Hitchcock tries to put together what was surely his most controversial film to date, the true-life horror of Psycho, his marriage to his long-suffering wife and collaborator, Alma Reville, reaches a crucial turning point. What we thought Hitchcock is a classic example of a film that has Oscar contender written all over it, but doesn't quite have what it takes to make it ...