Mac's Movies

UK Release Date:  23 February 1996 Certification:  18 Director:  Martin Scorsese Cast:   Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Kevin Pollak, Don Rickles, Sharon Stone, Frank Vincent, James Woods Rating:   75 % Review: Heralding the end of Martin Scorsese's obsession with deteriorating gangsters in a crime filled filmography spanning as far back as Mean Streets in 1973 before delving into a mix of religious epics and traditionalist biopics, Casino feels like a mesh of Scorsese's previous work. There's nothing truly original about the story, certain scenes reminiscent of Goodfellas , but Scorsese ensures that the film remains entertaining.  There is no doubt that the second and third act of Casino are a riveting watch but in fairness this film takes a while to become truly invested in. A slow introduction beckons the audience to eventually behold the downfall of these characters - making for a tremendous end with a sluggish start.  Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci c...

UK Release Date:  21 July 2023 Certification:  15 Director:  Christopher Nolan Cast:  Casey Affleck, Michael Angarano, Dylan Arnold, Emily Blunt, Kenneth Branagh, Jason Clarke, Tom Conti, Matt Damon, David Dastmalchian, Dane DeHaan, Robert Downey Jr., Alden Ehrenreich, Josh Hartnett, David Krumholtz, Rami Malek, Matthew Modine, Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman, Florence Pugh, Jack Quaid, Benny Safdie, Alex Wolff Rating:   97 % Review: With the buzz of 'Barbenheimer' in full effect, Oppenheimer released to a worldwide wave of praise,   Oppenheimer  was easily my most anticipated release of 2023.  Christopher Nolan is my favourite director and t he film is the crowning achievement of Nolan's career to date - combining the meticulous script of Memento , the performances of The Prestige and the stunning visuals of Interstellar . It is his tightest screenplay and has a plethora of personal performances yet he maintains the spectacular style...

UK Release Date:  19 February 1981 Certification:  18 Director:  Martin Scorsese Cast:  Nicholas Colasanto, Mario Gallo, Cathy Moriarty, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent Rating:   87 % Review: The film that saved both Martin Scorsese's career and life. A biography of Jake LaMotta's life, one of the most famous boxers of his time - for both the right and wrong reasons -  Raging Bull  is a character study masked as a sports film. From a filmmaking standpoint this is outstanding. Some exceptional camerawork which isn't really a surprise considering it's Scorsese. The way he shoots that dolly of LaMotta whilst he's in the ring is absolutely iconic, emphasising his descent into madness and inability to deal with both jealousy and anger. That whole scene in fact is simply riveting cinema.  The decision to have the film play out in black and white benefitted the viewing experience for me. Distinguishing Raging Bull from other works of the t...

UK Release Date: 18 January 2002 Certification: 15 Director: Ridley Scott Cast: Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Ewen Bremner, Tom Hardy, Josh Hartnett, Jason Isaacs, Ewan McGregor, Sam Shepard, Tom Sizemore Rating: 75% Leave No Man Behind.  Review: Ridley Scott ensures technical brilliance in every film he's involved in and that's no different in the case of  Black Hawk Down . The overall film doesn't hold up to some of his other features -  Alien ,  Blade Runner  and  Gladiator  - but technically it's just as good. The editing and sound is immersive for which it won an academy award for both. And the dull grey and green colours help blood stains and explosions pop that little bit more.  Whilst the ensemble cast assembled for Black Hawk Down is incredible, very few characters have any development due to conflicting  screen time. Josh Hartnett does a great job as the leading man giving a convincing display of a soldier who is out of his depth. S...

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: 26 January 2018 Certification: 15 Director: Nicolai Fuglsig Cast: William Fichtner, Chris Hemsworth, Navid Negahban, Michael Peña, Trevante Rhodes, Michael Shannon, Geoff Stults Rating:   52 % The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers. Review: 12 Strong is a true story about 12 special forces soldiers who attempted to take down the Taliban in three weeks  following the events of 9/11 - a mission that was predicted to take two years.   The performances are really solid during the course of 12 Strong . Chris Hemsworth is likeable in the lead and it feels that for once he's playing a character who's nothing but a muscle man, instead a character who can be a bit more emotive at times. Michael Peña also impressed, with his limited screen time, as he was able to shift away from his type cast comedic role a little. Similarly, Michael Shannon is also stellar in the role. Saying all that, Navid Negahban stood out. I totally bo...

UK Release Date: 12 January 2018 Certification: PG Director: Joe Wright Cast: Stephen Dillane, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Gary Oldman, Ronald Pickup, Kristen Scott Thomas Rating: 73% V for Victory. Review: Darkest Hour depicts the first couple of months of Sir Winston Churchill's time as the Prime Minister. The movie was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture [ Darkest Hour won Best Actor and Best Makeup and Hairstyling]. Gary Oldman is absolutely incredible in Darkest Hour and thoroughly deserved his Oscar for his portrayal of a moody and unpredictable Churchill. But he is not alone - the supporting cast are on top form as well. Lily James plays Elizabeth Layton, Churchill's secretary. I thought she was one of the best characters in the movie and provided elements of humour in a very serious movie. Ben Mendelsohn is excellent, as usual, in his portrayal King George VI, always with a witty comeback to Sir Winston Churchill. Kristen Scott Tho...