Mac's Movies

UK Release Date:  01 April 2022 Certification:  12 Director:  Richard Linklater Cast:  Jack Black, Milo Coy, Lee Eddy, Natalie L'Amoreaux, Zachary Levi, Glen Powell, Josh Wiggins, Bill Wise Rating:   49% Review: Richard Linklater garnered a reputation for crafting delightful coming of age films - Boyhood , Dazed and Confused and School of Rock - as well as completing one of the most acclaimed trilogies with 'The Before' trilogy.  Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood released on Netflix  last year to diminishing buzz and to some became an underrated gem of the 2020s.  For me that wasn't the case. I couldn't connect to the animation style for the life of me. It felt so off and unauthentic compared to the sincere story being told, not fitting the plot whatsoever. From a surface level the backgrounds shine with their unique level of intricacy and detail but the character design looks awful - rather artificial. And if an animated film fails to enti...

UK Release Date: 6 April 1947 Certification: U Director: Frank Capra Cast: Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Donna Reed, James Stewart, Henry Travers Rating: 94% "Every time a bell rings an angel gets it's wings". Review: As you can see from the attached image It's a Wonderful Life is a Christmas tradition in my family. Each Christmas Eve we go to the Glasgow Film Theatre to watch a screening of It's a Wonderful Life , so although I will try to keep the review honest, I have to admit going to the cinema on Christmas Eve certainly does add to the experience.  Director Frank Capra made his name with a series of movies celebrating the common man and the triumph of the underdog - It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and You Can't Take It With You (1938). It's a Wonderful Life was the first movie Frank Capra released following the end of World War II. An archetypal Capra movie, It's a Wonderful Life tells the stor...

UK Release Date: 28 November 2014 Certification: PG Director: Paul King Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Peter Capaldi, Michael Gambon, Madeleine Harris, Sally Hawkins, Samuel Joslin, Nicole Kidman, Imelda Staunton, Julie Walters, Ben Whishaw Rating:   89 % Please look after this bear. Review: The casting of Ben Whishaw as Paddington is a masterstroke . The  sense of naivety and innocence in Whishaw's voice personifies the character brilliantly. Michael Gambon and Imelda Staunton's voice work was also very good and equally suited the characters of Uncle Pastuzo and Aunt Lucy.  Alongside the CGI bears the live actors were excellent. Hugh Bonneville was hilarious as Henry Brown. He carried a huge amount of charisma and the perfect amount of stubbornness to the softer, more caring, Mary Brown (played by Sally Hawkins). The housekeeper, Mrs Bird's (played by Julie Walters) running gag of knowing what was going to happen because of her knees was great. I loved it. But t...