A Mann on a mission to review movies
X-rated for Sheep. Based on Thomas Hardy’s classic novel (which I much shamefully admit I have never read), Far From the Madding Crowd tells the tale of Bathsheba Everdene’s rags-to-riches…
Avengers: Age of Ultron is nonsense. But it is glossy, well-packaged and star-studded nonsense. Following on from the defeat of Thor’s brother in the last film, the story revolves around…
In “Focus” Will Smith plays Nicky, a con artist from a long lineage of con artists, who takes under his wing the beautiful and talented pickpocket Jess (Margot Robbie): a…
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was a surprise hit in 2012, leveraging the “oldies” out of their armchairs and into the cinemas in droves: the film returned around 15 times…
Last year’s “Pride” brilliantly demonstrated how far gay rights have come in the UK in 30 years. Selma does an equally superb job in showing how far racial equality has…
Matthew Vaughn, who’s previous films in the director’s chair number just four – “Layer Cake”, “Stardust”, “Kick Ass” and “X-Men: First Class” – does not do subtle. But he certainly…
Clint Eastwood has become a highly respected figure in the film industry. His iconic acting would have got him there, but add on his prolific film score composing and the…
Ex Machina has a simple story dealing with a deeply complex and philosophical topic: namely what makes humans human. The increasingly omnipresent Oscar Isaac plays billionaire Nathan Bates, genius creator…
Every comedian clearly has a burning desire to be seen as a “serious actor” at least once in their career: Jim Carrey had his “Truman Show”; Steve Coogan wrote himself…
At one point in Birdman “or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)“, Michael Keaton as ‘celebrity turned serious actor’ Riggan Thomson rants at a vicious New York Times critic Tabitha (the…