Mac's Movies

UK Release Date: 30 March 2017 Certification: 12A Director: Rupert Sanders Cast:  Pilou Asbæk, Juliette Binoche, Chin Han, Scarlett Johansson, Takeshi Kitano, Michael Pitt Rating: 32% I wish I had watched Ex Machina instead.  Review: I haven't read the manga from which this movie is based on or watched the original Ghost in the Shell but this movie feels like another failed and disrespectful attempt to adapt a beloved manga series by Hollywood. The acting in Ghost in the Shell is just bad. Scarlett Johansson is a terrific actress but she's emotionless - and I understand her character is a 'robot' - but that's simply uninspiring storytelling. Because her character had zero personality, I didn't care at all for what happened to her during the film.  Also she does a weird walk throughout that kind of looked like she was constipated.  Pilou Asbæk is the stereotypical side kick with no charisma and no character development. And I have no idea why he ha...

UK Release Date: 18 January 2008 Certification: 15 Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen Cast: Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Garret Dillahunt, Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly Macdonald Rating: 94% Thoroughly deserving of all its recognition. Review: No Country for Old Men is a visceral movie experience created by the Coen brothers. The modern western centres around Llewelyn Moss’ attempted getaway with $2 million from serial killer, Anton Chigurh. The visual storytelling, stunning shots and unique characters combine for one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. The three central performances are pivotal to the success of No Country for Old Men .  Josh Brolin delivers the best performance of his career. Llewelyn Moss shows that anybody can get mixed up with the wrong people due to Brolin's intimate portrayal.  Javier Bardem really shines as psychopath Anton Chigurh. He's almost on a par with Heath Ledger's Joker in terms of how great of a villain he is. He just epit...

UK Release Date: 24 September 2010 Certification: 15 Director: Ben Affleck Cast: Ben Affleck, Owen Burke, George Carroll, Chris Cooper, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, Jeremy Renner, Titus Welliver Rating: 66%  'Welcome to the bank robbery capital of America'.  Review: Ben Affleck is brilliant both in front and behind the camera in The Town . He grew up in Boston so of course the accent is effortless and he's simultaneously caring as well as threatening. You can tell he understands the location he's filming in, he pays attention to small details about how much of a dump Charleston really is. Whilst watching I found his direction admirable. A pre-Hawkeye Jeremy Renner is the real standout here. His performance is magnetic as he's a loose cannon, at any point during the run time he could explode. He was deservedly acknowledged for his performance as receiving an Oscar nomination. Jon Hamm also delivered a fine performance if a bit si...

UK Release Date: 19 November 2021 Certification: 12A Director: Lin-Manuel Miranda  Cast: Andrew Garfield, Joshua Henry, Vanessa Hudgens, Robin De Jesus, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Alexandra Shipp, MJ Rodriguez, Bradley Whitford Rating: 82 % 'How much time do we have to do something great' Review: Tick, Tick...BOOM! was the biggest surprise of 2021 for me. I knew nothing about Jonathan Larson or his story. The first time I watched it, only two months ago, highlighting it's rewatchability, I wasn't feeling great and chose to watch the movie purely for the fact that Andrew Garfield was in it even though I'm not the biggest fan of musicals. But I loved every single minute of Tick, Tick...BOOM! Andrew Garfield is one of the greatest, most talented actors working today. Absolutely every movie I've ever seen him in, whether it's a biographical drama in The Social Network or a blockbuster in The Amazing Spider-Man , he shines, no matter the size of the role. As Jon...

UK Release Date: 28 June 2017 Certification: 15 Director : Edgar Wright Cast: Jon Bernthal, Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, Lily James, CJ Jones, Kevin Spacey Rating: 83% They call me Baby Driver Review: The cast assembled for Baby Driver are all terrific. Ansel Elgort is great in the lead as Baby. He’s charming without saying much, trained for weeks to perform the getaway scenes and his choice in music is sublime. C o-star, Lily James has great on screen chemistry with Elgort making their 'teenage romance' totally believable. Despite the controversy surrounding Kevin Spacey he's still an incredibly talented actor. He plays the role of crime boss, Doc, in a deadpan manner that makes him unlikeable, menacing and trusting all at the same time. Jon Bernthal, Eiza González and Jon Hamm all make brilliant and somewhat likeable gangsters. And Jamie Foxx's Bats may well be one of the most punchable characters ever put on the big screen.  Edgar Wright is b...

UK Release Date: 14 March 2018 Certification: 12A Director: Roar Uthaug Cast: Walton Goggins, Kristen Scott Thomas, Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu Rating: 30% Yet another awful video game adaptation Review: When I was younger I used to play Tomb Raider on my dad's playstation, so although I haven't seen the movie starring Angelina Jolie, I would consider myself a Tomb Raider fan. But this movie is the definition of lacklustre.  I got ten seconds into the movie and I already wanted it to end. The whole point of Tomb Raider is that it's a simple action-adventure story similar to Raiders of the Lost Ark and immediately the movie decided to tell a story which deals with an ancient witch who can kill by touch alone. That feels so far-fetched to me and in my opinion that isn't Tomb Raider .  Alicia Vikander put in a lot of work to prepare for the role of Lara Croft. She went through moths of physical training in order to complete most of the stunt work by he...

UK Release Date: 26 January 2017 Certification: 15 Director: Mel Gibson  Cast: Luke Bracey, Andrew Garfield, Rachel Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington Rating: 90% 'One of the greatest American heroes never fired a bullet' Review: Hacksaw Ridge , directed by Mel Gibson, is based on a true story depicting the life of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a man who refuses to touch a gun despite volunteering to fight in the war. The movie was a huge success upon release earning $180 million worldwide and receiving six Oscar nominations including best picture.  The biggest takeaway from Hacksaw Ridge is that it cements Andrew Garfield as an extraordinary actor amongst some of the very best of this decade. I've loved absolutely everything he's been in. He's sensational and without doubt in my top five favourite actors of all time. The accent worked, his morals made sense and his performance was commanding and powerful. He s...

UK Release Date:   28 February 1952 Certification: 15 Director: Elia Kazan Cast: Rudy Bond, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Viven Leigh, Karl Maiden Rating: 45% "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers" Review: I've been studying the play, A Streetcar Named Desire ,  by Tennessee Williams  for my higher English and I do prefer it to quite a few of the plays I've read before. And of course I understand the movie's significance and importance. I realise why it won a total of four Oscars. But it I can tell it's a play and I'm not a huge fan of the classic plays in the vain of Greek tragedies.  And that brings me to my first criticism of A Streetcar Named Desire ,   it is a remake of a play. And in my opinion that is extremely hard to do because there is absolutely no story at all. The movie is eleven acts placed one after another.  On the other hand Marlon Brando is phenomenal in his breakout role. His performance as Sta...