Movie reviews by Jay Richardson
Page 1 of 5, from 82 detailed articles
American: The Bill Hicks StoryBill Hicks was a patriot, claims American, someone whose tragically foreshortened life encapsulated the ideal of freedom of speech and the need to hold authority to account. Yet this innovative…
Date NightA romantic action comedy, Date Night entertains thanks to the comic chops and chemistry of its two leads. Steve Carell and Tina Fey ought to have been paired on the big screen before now and it’s to…
Cemetery JunctionA departure from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s painfully acute observational humour and the former’s tongue-in-cheek, on-screen egomania, Cemetery Junction is a statement of broadening…
Beyond The PolePart goofy bromance, part light-touch mockumentary, engaging indie Beyond The Pole brings some belated, much needed humour to the issue of climate change. Purporting to document the first carbon…
The RoadLike a zombie movie with pretentions to spiritual allegory, The Road pits a father and son’s love against the bleakest backdrops of apocalyptic desolation.…
Bunny and the BullThe first thing to note about Bunny And The Bull, the cinematic debut of Mighty Boosh and Garth Marenghi director Paul King, is that it’s not Mighty Boosh: The Movie. But it certainly bodes well for…
AdventurelandAn understated, coming-of-age story, Adventureland arrives largely unheralded from writer-director Greg Mottola, the man who helmed the brashly enjoyable Superbad. A more thoughtful and altogether…
Julie & JuliaCorresponding two true stories from over half a century’s distance, Julie & Julia is an appealing idea from director and romantic comedy veteran Nora Ephron. But it’s fatally compromised by one of…
MoonA seriously impressive debut from British director Duncan Jones, Moon recalls thoughtful science fiction classics like Solaris and 2001: A Space Odyssey, yet retains enough imaginative originality to…
FightingAs the title suggests, Fighting is a straightforward film of few surprises and a raw, if intermittent,…
X-Men Origins: WolverineThough hardly the worst X-Men movie – Brett Ratner’s third instalment, The Last Stand, wins that dubious honour – Origins: Wolverine criminally wastes the appeal of the franchise’s most charismatic…
GoodIn the worst of times, most of us will prioritise self-interest, with only a heroic few possessing the courage to swim against the tide.…
In The LoopAnticipation surrounding Armando Iannucci’s film directing debut has been high, as befits arguably the most influential man in British comedy over the last two decades, and In The Loop exceeds almost…
Lesbian Vampire KillersThough it’s too early to speak of Lesbian Vampire Killers as the final nail in the coffin of Mathew Horne and James Corden’s comic partnership, with the poison ink still wet on initial reviews of…
Waltz With BashirTaking its title from the surreal image of an Israeli soldier, oblivious to the gunfire around him dancing trance-like through a Beirut street junction and spraying bullets beneath the gaze of…
Quantum of SolaceLike its hero, Quantum of Solace is clinically impressive but emotionally disengaging, resulting in a competent but uninspiring thriller. The first real sequel in the Bond franchise, the film…
Kung-Fu Panda Kung-Fu Panda looks fantastic and kids will adore its roly-poly, furry hero. But this is strictly formulaic animation from DreamWorks, wasting a stellar cast and a marvellously high concept idea.…
Priceless (Hors de prix)With a lightness of touch that Hollywood would undoubtedly struggle to reproduce, Priceless (Hors de prix) is a frivolous French romantic comedy that aspires to be nothing more than a throwaway bit…
