CRITICISM / CULTURE / CINEMA
Films that stay with you.
Writing that looks a little closer.
Explore the collected reviews of Linda O’Brien.
Good Santa.
Lately, animated films have become more and more hyperactive; sugary explosions of retina-scorching colour, zany characters and irritating concessions to the pop cultural zeitgeist. Rise of the Guardians from director Peter Ramsey…
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Highly evolved.
The Planet of the Apes is an unlikely candidate for rebooting. It’s a good concept, sure, but also quite a tricky one to pull off. Tim Burton demonstrated this in 2001 when…
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..and aaaages!
Based on the hit stage show (which in London starred the uniquely off-putting duo of Shayne Ward and Justin Lee Collins), Rock of Ages is an example of the newly popular genre…
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Shareef don't like it.
Thanks to his habit of showing up at university house parties, Bill Murray is more meme than man these days. Nonetheless he maintains quite the cult following – his hang-dog expression and…
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Room for improvement.
I write this review of Room on the eve of its release as somewhere, its cast and crew are celebrating a rather good day at the office. The film has received four…
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Engine trouble.
I fear I’m going to be tremendously unfair to Ron Howard’s Formula 1 drama Rush. It’s a film that screams quality – a true story directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay…
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The hitman and her.
Far from the family ties of the Godfather series, or the drug fuelled excess of Scarface is the world of Salvo, directed by Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza. Although based in the…
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San Andreas faults.
In San Andreas, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays a Los Angeles search and rescue pilot who has just been served with divorce papers. I know what you’re thinking – why would anyone…
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Braindead.
I'm not entirely sure about the wisdom of releasing Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse a week after Halloween. Instead of capitalising on the teenagers looking for a little midterm gore, Scouts…
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Apocalypse wow.
Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking A Friend for the End of the World is an apocalypse movie with a difference. In the first scene we hear a radio report detailing a failed attempt to…
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Marching on.
Selma has found itself in the dubious position of being a cause celebre. Having received early Oscar hype, it was assumed that the film would be amongst the front runners come award…
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Pole position.
For a sports documentary to work for a wider audience than just the fans it has to have drama, excitement and the power of personality. Asif Kapadia’s documentary about the Brazilian Formula…
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Carry On Snoring.
Sex Tape is a very uncomfortable film to watch but not for the reasons you might think. Yes, Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel do spend an inordinate amount of time with their…
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Too close for comfort.
It’s been a few weeks since I saw Steve McQueen’s Shame and even with the benefit of that time to reflect, I’m still on the fence about it. I definitely can’t say…
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Growing pains.
Lisa Aschan’s first feature She Monkeys, is an impressively complex and atmospheric take on the coming of age drama. Set in modern day Sweden, the film revolves around three girls; teenagers Emma…
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Killing in fields.
My favourite film of last year was Ben Wheatley’s Kill List, a pitch black slice of violence, paranoia and the occult that had me shaking by the end of it. With his…
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The Passion of St. Marty.
The best moments of Martin Scorsese’s film career are not notable for their reverential silence. Back in his heyday, his films fizzled with rough-hewn vitality. Even the diminishing returns that have marked…
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Viewing recommended.
The poster for Silent House advertises it as “Real fear captured in real time.” Its gimmick (because every horror film these days seems to need one) is that the directors Chris Kentis…
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