When one thinks of a Roman Polanksi film, the immediate image that comes to mind is of dark, psychologically intense thrillers, rather than an upbeat social satire of the upper-middle class New York milieu this film appears to be. However Carnage turns out to be just as macabre as anything else this director has made. [...]

February 21st, 2012 Read more

  Borgen is the latest Scandinvian phenomenon eagerly snapped up by the BBC. Following the successes of blockbuster remakes, Let the Right One In and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, coupled with the surprise popularity of the Danish show The Killing, it is no surprise that British Television has headhunted yet another Scandinavian production. [...]

February 20th, 2012 Read more

As the excitement surrounding the 84th annual Academy Awards heightens, speculation has been intensifying around the nominees; critical camps have been divided, and no film has been more deliberated over than The Help. An adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best selling novel, The Help has grossed a staggering £205.3 million so far and has been one [...]

February 20th, 2012 Read more

So, after several years serving as a regular on music quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Noel Fielding is once again flexing his comedy muscles, first seen on TV in The Mighty Boosh, with his new series Luxury Comedy. The question fans of Noel and of the Boosh will be asking, of course, is whether [...]

February 20th, 2012 Read more

Roman Polanksi’s new film, Carnage, is a slick satire, adapted from Yasmon Reza’s stage play, which examines the emotional trials and tribulations of the middle classes hidden under the veil of superficial happiness. The film centres on the interaction between two sets of parents, Alan and Nancy Cowan (Christopher Waltz and Kate Winslett) and Michael [...]

February 20th, 2012 Read more

Bristol’s Cube cinema recently showed Black Pond on three consecutive evenings with the added bonus of a Q & A with writer/directors Will Sharpe and Tom Kingsley and lead actor Chris Langham on the opening night. Made on an astonishingly low-budget of £25,000, the film garnered great critical acclaim on its release in early November, [...]

February 20th, 2012 Read more

Isn’t it a shame when a film is ruined by pretentiousness, every single line screaming ‘interpret me!’ at the viewer? This is exactly what happens in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which is frustrating because it detracts from some excellent individual performances. I’d been interested in seeing this film, which explores the impact of 9/11 [...]

February 20th, 2012 Read more