Movie reviews of Eric Hillis

Edwards' film moves at a rapid pace, so an extra half hour of humans in peril certainly wouldn't have slowed it down and may well have elevated it to the level of his fellow Brit Rupert Wyatt's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the one truly great sci-fi blockbuster of our time. Review

Ayer and co-writer Skip Woods might boast of how unpredictable their script is, but it only contains the element of surprise because the plot twists make little sense and the logistics of how certain characters were able to pull off certain events are never explained. Review

There's a lot of clutter in Before the Winter Chill, with Claudel constantly bombarding us with his thoughts on colonialism, absent fathers and the role of bankers in the economic crisis, but when he focuses on the meat of the plot, the relationship between Paul and Lou, his film is a melancholy marvel. Review

Olsen and Isaacs are two of the best American actors of their generation but following reputation making performances in Martha Marcy May Marlene and Inside Llewyn Davis respectively, they've made a series of poor career choices, of which In Secret is the latest. Review

There's hardly a shot, cut or line of dialogue here that doesn't advance the story. Saulnier never gives us too much information, nor too little, we simply see and hear all we need to. Review

The Two Faces of January is a film that can't seem to decide on the story it wants us to follow, or which of its characters we should be rooting for. The film's second act ends on a shocking twist, from which it never recovers, leaving us with two faces whose fates we no longer care about. Review

With the same premise famously stolen for the 1986 Danny De Vito comedy Ruthless People, and reworked several times since, Life of Crime feels three decades past its sell by date. Review

Firmly shaking off the stigma of genre cinema for international audiences, Asian drama seems to be in something of a golden age, and Chen is a name to watch. Review

Though it's got plenty of laughs, like all too many contemporary comedies, Bad Neighbours suffers from a lack of anything resembling a story the viewer can get invested in. Review

As soon as Rebecca leaves her hospital bed, the film morphs into a domestic drama, and a rather trite and cliched one at that. Review

In Bloom is a polished piece of cinema, with a stunning central performance from the young Babluani, and the cinematography of Romanian master Oleg Mutu, captures a second world state in first rate style. Review

Plastic could well be subtitled Ocean's 14, that number representative of the mental age of the film's target audience. Review

Unlike most of Luc Besson's recent productions, Brick Mansions is a whole lot of fun, even if it is for all the wrong reasons. Review

These people are clearly mad but said madness is played for laughs until the film's final act, when Jon discovers that mental illness is actually a bit of a downer. Review

If you're still living in the bunker you constructed in 1999 to survive the then impending Y2K apocalypse, Transcendence will likely be your favourite film. It's a shame you'll never see it. Review

Don't let its minimalist premise turn you off. Locke is a film that immediately draws you into its intimate drama of high grade cement and rogue sperm, and holds you for the entire journey. Review

Hogg's technique, static shots, often framing her characters through the exterior windows of the townhouse, recalls the cold distance of early Haneke, but it's an approach that requires performances more convincing than those she mines from her two leads, both of whom are new to acting. Review

There's enough in Tracks to satisfy nature lovers but its narrative becomes repetitive as Curran struggles for an angle beyond trite sub Paulo Coelho philosophizing and childhood flashbacks. One can only imagine how great this could have been in the hands of a Terence Malick or Peter Weir. Review

Adapting a comic book created by his wife, Coco, Moodysson has given us arguably the most enjoyable movie ever made about childhood, and certainly the most honest. Review

If you like your superhero movies dark and brooding, TAS2 isn't for you. If, however, you prefer the light but substantial tone of Richard Donner's Superman, you'll have a blast with this one. Review

The laziest film-makers simply use a loud noise, something Pogue is guilty of countless times throughout his tension free film. Review

Sutherland takes the Billy Zane role of the rich cad and his deliciously camp performance makes for the film's few entertaining moments. He alone seems to understand how ridiculous the whole affair is. Had Pompeii been entirely fashioned in the spirit of Sutherland's approach we'd have a far more entertaining movie than the one we're presented with here. Review

While Irish audiences ate up the humour of The Guard I doubt McDonagh’s latest will be received so warmly, as it’s quite the hatchet job. Review

Much of what works about the film is down to its impressively assembled cast, particularly Olivia Williams as a Ripley-esque bitchy scientist who cares more about her research than the well-being of her crew. Review