Mac's Movies

UK Release Date:  12 April 2013 Certification:  15 Director:  Derek Cianfrance Cast:  Mahershala Ali, Rose Byrne, Emory Cohen, Bradley Cooper, Dane DeHaan, Ryan Gosling, Ray Liotta, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn Rating:   49 % Review:   The Place Beyond the Pines is a mess. The film attempts to tell three interconnecting stories during its 140 minute runtime - a crime thriller, an unravelling of police corruption and a political campaign. This could've worked if each section of the film was compelling but that isn't the case. The first hour of this film is superb in my opinion. The themes bleed through, the action is well choreographed and scenes feel impactful. Afterwards, the rest of the film is just dull, boring and a major disappointment. The characters aren't particularly interesting and I struggled to remain engaged with the plot.  Ryan Gosling is great in the supposed lead role of Luke Glanton. The struggles of his personal lif...

UK Release Date: 14 February 2019 Certification: 12A Director: Sean Anders Cast: Rose Byrne, Gustavo Escobar, Julianna Gamiz, Margo Martindale Isabela Merced, Tig Notaro, Octovia Spencer, Mark Wahlberg Rating: 77 % Instant Family  Review: After only one viewing, Instant Family has established itself as a firm favourite, a movie that I am sure I will return to again. Instant Family is able to tap into a range of emotions - making me laugh one minute only for me to cry the next. Instant Family is a heartwarming movie, largely due to the skilled and nuanced storytelling of director, Sean Anders. Anders and his wife took in three foster children at once and  Instant Family is based on his real-life experience.  Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne have excellent chemistry on screen. Their characters are always bouncing off each other's punchline whilst struggling to deal with the children together.  Speaking of the children, all of them are engaging in their ...