Movie reviews of Hamish Calvert

The Kindergarten Teacher has a lot to say and it goes about saying it in a way that will be difficult to process. Maggie Gyllenhaal is uncomfortably compelling with her performance, committing to her character fully, benefiting the overall picture greatly.

With a cast as compelling as Farhadi has assembled here Everybody Knows was always going to be captivating. Although his slower paced storytelling told over the elongated duration of the film does threaten to alienate some audiences.

What’s maybe most remarkable about Capernaum is its authenticity. As a viewer you truly feel like a fly on the wall observing the everyday lives of these characters.

With clear ambitions to create a more credible thriller Serenity gets somewhat lost at cinematic sea pretty early on. However it treads water nicely thanks to the campy, trashy style that it establishes, whether this is intentional or not!

Isn’t It Romantic will have you entertained to no end with its clever, humourous and joyous satire of one of the most over-saturated genres in cinema – no rom-com is safe!

There’s enjoyment to be had here for sure but the narrative and setting don’t align in a fitting way and the lack of any real character or storyline to fully engage with results in the films failure to ever entirely captivate its audience.

Paddleton is a thoughtfully controlled film which many will find too slow-paced and uneventful. However, there is a definite audience who will connect with this picture and for them it will prove a real treat.

Felicity Jones is a fantastic lead and is supported nicely by her co-stars but it’s the inspiring story of a woman refusing to accept the status quo which is the real star and rightly so.

The Hole in the Ground is a smart, original and scary piece of horror which has been transferred skillfully from page to screen.

Instant Family will have you laughing when you’re supposed to laugh, crying when it’s aiming for your heart and will hopefully educate and inspire families & individuals about all things adoption.

The lack of horror will disappoint some fans but this element bookends the film nicely with a more sci-fi comedy centre taking hold.

It’s simplicity in its themes and lessons is not to be sneered at but instead embraced as it brings this fantasy adventure very much into the real world, making this film as relevant as it is entertaining.

This is a beautiful film in appearance and in soul and one that will touch the hearts of many.

Far from the slam dunk it aspires to be High Flying Bird is a disappointing attempt at bringing this sporting sector to the silver screen.

The screenplay does take its time but when the film features a cast as talented as this it allows the chance for audiences to fully appreciate their performances, reflecting upon them as Shakespeare reflects on his life and career in this thoughtful envisioning of his later years.

Far from Cameron’s best work and a disappointing return to the big screen. Even without the comparisons to his previous filmography this cyberpunk action adventure just lacks heart.

Lord and Miller’s writing still has its moments of brilliance shown in countless moments throughout meaning that The LEGO Movie 2 is still good fun to play with but not built on quite as strong foundations as the original.

This horror delivers exactly what it promises, providing tense and creative escape room thrills that completely captivate.

Approach the film with your mind as a blank canvas ready for Gilroy to paint you a picture of twisted and thrilling theatre and you should be left satisfied.

Are the performances better than the film itself? Quite possibly but the screenplay still provides a compelling story just one that its exceptional players give life to brilliantly, somewhat overshadowing it but for that it can certainly be forgiven.

It’s a simple story filled with unapologetic humanity, heart and humour mixed together in an infectious manner.

With a premise as interesting as is seen here Destroyer deserves to be better. It shines in its high octane action moments and Kidman, as well as the rest of her cast, deliver brilliant performances.

Its mixture of tones caused by the odd range of performances fails to contribute anything positive to the film, only providing comedy that falls flat and a less than compelling story which quickly goes south.

The awards accolades the film has attracted are testament to how visually impressive the costume, hair and make-up is and the performances match this aesthetic in every moment. Outstays its welcome leaving viewers with a poorer impression of itself than it deserves.