I don't dislike La La Land solely because it's popular. It's not really its fault so many people love it. Plus, I unashamedly love Star Wars and you don't get much more popular than that. Still, in the case of La La Land , it irritates me. In my opinion, Star Wars deserves to be that popular. La La Land does not. Alright, La La Land isn't terrible. For one, the cinematography is beyond gorgeous. Colours burst vibrantly out of every frame and the camera extravagantly sweeps the viewer through Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are likeable leads, providing a relatively accessible point for the audience to enter. Pretty much everything else about La La Land is... fine. The screenplay is good, with witty and authentic dialogue. The songs are also good, with enough fun and bouncy numbers balanced with slower, mellower ones. None of it's that impressive, though. It's done well, but it's no masterpiece. Also, La La Land never seems t...

There a lot of films about cancer, because it's a topic that many people relate to, providing a lot of dramatic and emotional potential. However, there are only so many times you can rehash the same basic storyline before it feels stale. Fortunately, A Monster Calls avoids that. Adapted from the fantastic book by Patrick Ness (based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd), this film tackles terminal illness from a refreshingly original angle. A Monster Calls follows Conor (Lewis MacDougall) struggling to come to terms with his mum's (Felicity Jones) terminal cancer. On a dramatic level, the film explores how this affects Conor's life well, empathetically showing the effect it has on everyday activities and his relationships. Notably, it focuses on Conor's attempt to reconnect with his estranged father (Toby Kebbell) and the complex impact on Conor's difficult relationship with his Grandma (Sigourney Weaver). Whilst all of this is done very well, it's not anything th...

2016 was a miserable year for pretty much everything other than films; somehow cinema dodged the perpetual misery cloud that plunged the rest of last year into a dismal series of disasters. So, let's pretend the apocalypse isn't around the corner as I count down my favourite films of last year. 10. Captain America: Civil War Civil War deals with similar issues to Batman V Superman but far more effectively. Its characters have convincing motivations and the two sides are argued so well I’m still not sure which team I’m on. Its spectacle is huge, especially during the now iconic airport fight, but the emotional depth is equally big. The final showdown is claustrophobic and character driven; it’s significantly more epic than Age of Ultron ’s third act without a floating city in sight. 9. Doctor Strange Whilst Captain America: Civil War is their most mature, Doctor Strange is Marvel’s most inventive film. Following the trope-ridden Avengers: Age of Ultron , Doctor Str...

After my fourth viewing of The Force Awakens , something was missing. I stand by my original review , but I get the plot issues now. Relying heavily on fan service was risky and, whilst The Force Awakens pulled it off masterfully, once the nostalgic excitement wore off the story left didn't feel substantial enough. Rogue One , on the other hand, is a stand-alone film. It has no franchise building pressures; the franchise has already been built. So, it has every opportunity to be original. Does it take that chance? All The Risk Taking The Force Awakens was about as Star Wars as you can get. It drew most of its elements from the original trilogy, including the characters, the tone, the settings and the plot itself. It was a giant nostalgia-splosion. Sadly, there was little new stuff, and the stuff that was new was drenched in Star Wars tropes. This didn't bother me immensely; unrelenting nostalgia was what I expected. However, they couldn't get away with another film...

Deadpool Everybody seemed to adore this film when it was released, but I can't say it excited me that much. I enjoy meta humour as much as the next man, but Deadpool ’s is never as clever as it thinks it is. The majority of the time it just consists of Ryan Reynolds acknowledging to the camera that something was “cliché” and then doing nothing particularly funny with it. Still, Reynolds is good, the action is grittier than your usual superhero blockbuster, and it doesn't end with a giant space beam shooting into the sky. 6.6/10 Sing Street Absolutely wonderful from start to finish. The sharp dialogue combined with the gleefully ridiculous song numbers kept me laughing throughout. The acting is very strong, Jack Reynor delivering a particular compelling performance as the protagonist’s older brother. By the third act the tone shifts, becoming more poignant and less humorous. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a noticeable change that does allow the film to en...

Being an indie film, Captain Fantastic had a relatively limited cinema release, meaning I missed its run at my local artsy hipster cinema. So, I set off from my comfortable home, narrowly escaped three darkly clad horse riders, traversed through ancient mines, confronted a colossal spider, scaled an active volcano and finally reached Nottingham, where I sat down in a comfortable - if rather beardy - cinema. After enduring such a journey, was the film worth it? In short, yes. I've seen many good films this year, but Captain Fantastic is one of my favourites*. It focuses on Viggo Mortensen's Ben Cash, a father raising his six kids away from society. He teaches them self sufficiency and to reject consumerism, instilling in them his intensely left wing views. You'd expect the film to feel preachy, but it never does. Writer/director Matt Ross ensures that the viewer empathises with Ben without having to agree with him, exploring the convincing motivations behind h...

Kubo and the Two Strings marks a shift in American stop motion animation studio Laika's style. Their previous films, such as Paranorman and The Boxtrolls , were known for their macabre themes and aesthetic, but the world of Kubo is thoroughly entrenched in the mystical and mythical. I know very little about Japanese mythology, but even I can see the influence it has on this film. Every element feels like it has a rich backstory; whether it's Ralph Fiennes' Moon King or the eerily atmospheric 'Sisters', everything emanates an enigmatic depth. Kubo most reminds me of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda ; the epic journey of a young hero fulfilling his destiny through exploration and monster battling is particularly evocative of the series. All of this is brought to life by Laika's spectacular animation. Much has been said about the film's opening scene, and rightfully so; it is stunning. Aardman's stop motion work is undeniably charming, but they have ...