Philomena is a delight. You can truly tell that the summer blockbuster fan-boy films are all spent and we are seriously into Oscar nomination territory.  Based on a true storm, Philomena tells the harrowing true-life story of a teenage Irish girl up the duff with child and assigned in disgrace to the ‘care’ of Nuns … Read more
Excuse the pun, but this film is going to pull a lot of weight in the technical categories at the Oscars next year. It is a breathtaking piece of filmmaking, reportedly 8 years in the making and the brainchild of Alfonso CuarĂłn (Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and his son … Read more
Zowie! Tom Hanks plays Captain Rich Phillips in what is definitely my favourite film of the year to date.   The fact that this is a true story, and based on a book by Captain Phillips, rather gives the game away that ‘things will be alright in the end’, but – boy oh boy – … Read more
A short review this time, as with my second daughter getting married at the end of this week, I have wedding stuff to do! Le-Weekend is the latest from Roger Michell (Notting Hill, Hyde Park on Hudson) and is a distinctly peculiar film.  First and foremost, it is brilliantly acted, with Lindsay Duncan and Jim … Read more
 I have to admit that all I knew about Leith, before looking it up on Google Maps, was that in the famous tongue-twister the police from there “dismissive up”.  But it turns out that Leith is a port-based district of Edinburgh.  And very picturesque it is too in Dexter Fletcher’s new musical “Sunshine on … Read more