humour – cinemescope

100 Word Review – Super (2010)

May 24, 2017May 22, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Action, ComedyTagged Comedy, dark, Ellen Page, humour, James Gunn, Kevin Bacon, Linda Cardellini, Liv Tyler, Nathan Fillion, Rainn Wilson, super heroesLeave a comment

Not a super hero movie.

When his wife leaves him for her drug dealer, an ordinary man becomes the Crimson Bolt, a hero as fallible and unextraordinary as he is, but in a red suit.

Written/Directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, Slither) and starting Rainn Wilson (The Office, Juno) and Ellen Page (Juno, Inception), this film is funny but extremely dark.

Think Kick-Ass but simultaneously bleaker and more brilliant.

Gunn’s twisted sense of humour fits perfectly with Wilson’s wonderfully awkward timing and skill. Not suitable for kids and barely suitable for adults, this film’s sad, dark and unmissable.

100 Word Review – Mindhorn (2016)

May 22, 2017May 14, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., ComedyTagged Alan Partridge, Andrea Riseborough, British, Comedy, Essie Davis, Harriet Walter, humour, Julian Barratt, Kenneth Branagh, police, Russell Tovey, Sean Foley, Simon Callow, Simon Farnaby, Steve Coogan, tvLeave a comment

Somewhere between Alan Partridge and Hot Fuzz, this is British comedy at its finest. Written by and starring Julian Barratt (Mighty Boosh) and Simon Farnaby (Bunny & The Bull), it’s jam-packed with British talent, hearty laughs and a truly entertaining storyline.

Richard (Barratt) used to played Mindhorn, a TV detective whose eye let him see the truth. More than 20 years later, and nearing the end of a failing acting career, Richard is called back to play his greatest role, to help solve a murder.

With a fantastic supporting cast, including a show-stopping turn from Russell Tovey (The Pass, The History Boys).

100 Word Review – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

May 8, 2017May 6, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Sci Fi, UncategorizedTagged Action, adventure, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, family, Fantasy, humour, James Gunn, Karen Gillan, Kurt Russell, Michael Rooker, Sci Fi, Sylvester Stallone, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana1 Comment

Quill (Chris Pratt) and the team are back, battered and bruised and better than ever.

Continuing from Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket (Bradley Cooper) gets the gang into hot water with the Sovereign, forcing the Guardians to cross paths with Quill’s long lost father, Ego (Kurt Russell).

With the same great cast and skill-full direction of the first film, the soundtrack may not be quite as epic, but it is still the fun, fantastical journey you might hope for. Suitable for older children, it’s already been voted number 229 in IMDb Top 250, in it’s first week of release.

Don’t miss it.

100 Word Review – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

May 6, 2017May 6, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Sci FiTagged 1980s, adaptation, adventure, Benicio Del Toro, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Comedy, Comic, Dave Bautista, family, film, Glenn Close, humour, James Gunn, John C. Reilly, Karen Gillan, Lee Pace, Marvel, Michael Rooker, Peter Serafinowicz, Sci Fi, soundtrack, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana1 Comment

Cosmic criminals, comedy, combat and a killer 80s soundtrack, what more could you want from this Marvel comic adaptation?

Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is taken from Earth after the death of his mum, with only an epic mixtape to keep him company. 25 years later he calls himself Star Lord, and is an intergalactic thief, caught up in a bid to save the galaxy.

Writer/director James Gunn (Scooby-Doo) does a fantastic job of creating a three-dimensional ensemble cast that includes a talking tree (Vin Diesel), a wise-cracking racoon (Bradley Cooper) and a whole lot more. It’s an absolute joy to watch.

100 Word Review – Election (1999)

May 7, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., ComedyTagged About Schmidt, adaptation, Alexander Payne, Comedy, dark, election, high school, humour, manipulation, Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Sideways, The Descendants, vengenceLeave a comment

An Oscar-nominated comedy which felt somehow fitting for today.

Whatever you think of Reese Witherspoon, this film is brilliant and she shines as the obsessive high-achieving student determined to become student body president. Matthew Broderick stars as the teacher who gets in her way.

Directed by Alexander Payne (About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants), although it may be set in a high-school, this is not a teen comedy. It is certainly not Ferris Bueller!

Witherspoon is truly chilling and plays off Broderick’s frustrated civics teacher beautifully. The result is a dark, dark comedy with underlying themes of vengeance, fixation and manipulation.