Because Everybody Else Has One

Spielberg! The Coen Brothers! Tom Hanks! What could go wrong? Not that much as it turns out... This review is also up at Channel 24 What it's about At the height of the cold war, American insurance lawyer, James Donovan, is called on to represent Rudolf Abel, a British man accused of being a Soviet spy. What starts off as a civic duty soon becomes something far greater, however, as Donovan and Abel's lives intertwine in a way that places both of their lives in danger. Based on a true story. What we thought In a way, I needn't really say much more about Bridge of Spies than that is directed by Steven Spielberg, co-written (based on an original script by newcomer Matt Charman, adapting Donovan's own writings) by the Coen Brothers and starring Tom Hanks. It's a frankly astonishing selection of talent and even if Bridge of Spies is not exactly the greatest film ever made, you probably don't need me to tell you that it is very good indeed. ...

Er... sorry about the delay but better late than never, right? Nope, I'm sadly not talking about the final Harry Potter film, which I still need to see and am unashamedly psyched for but here's the last review from last week's lineup. And it's the best of the lot too... Win Win is the latest film from indie director Thomas McCarthy and if you're aware of his previous films (The Visitor, The Station Agent) then you should know what to expect here. If not, Win Win is as good a place to start as any. The basic setup of the film is that Paul Giamatti plays Mike Flaherty, a struggling lawyer who sees an opportunity to make some extra money by becoming the guardian of a wealthy old man but, when the teenage son of the old man's estranged daughter turns up looking for his grandfather, Mike finds himself with a whole lot more on his plate than he could possibly have imagined. While trying to deal with this fractured family and his own financial problems, he beco...