Mac's Movies

UK Release Date:  13 January 2017 Certification:  12A Director:  Damien Chazelle Cast:  Ryan Gosling, John Legend, J.K. Simmons, Emma Stone Rating:   96 % Review: Continuing with my new found love for Damien Chazelle, La La Land is his examination of being able to follow your passion trapped in the constraints of a charming musical. An exuberant glorification of Los Angeles compared to the cynical narrative present in Babylon . What begins as a glamorous and energetic tale of romance finishes in complete devastation - a metaphorical depiction of betrayal present in the medium of film. La La Land is a punch to the gut. By the end of the film I was left in floods of tears.  The wave of emotion is predominantly down to the excellence of Justin Hurwitz's jazz-centric score - who picked up an Academy Award for his efforts. 'Mia & Sebastian's Theme' is absurdly painful to experience. A heartbreaking piece of music that becomes increasingly delicate as diff...

UK Release Date:  21 July 2023 Certification:  12A Director:  Greta Gerwig Cast:  Kingsley Ben-Adir, Michael Cera, Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Ryan Gosling, Ariana Greenblatt, Simu Liu, Emma Mackey, Kate McKinnon, Helen Mirren, Issa Rae, Margot Robbie, Alexandra Shipp Rating:   55 % Review: Admittedly, I'm not the target audience - I am a teenage male that can't relate to the problems of a woman in modern society - and women have gotten a lot out of the film, specifically mothers, which is great but Barbie just felt like a strange amalgamation of social commentary and product placement. When tasked with making a film on the issues of toxic masculinity and the empowerment of feminism, whether intentional or not, it is baffling that a man completely stole the show. Before the film had even been released the public were rallying for Ryan Gosling to receive an Oscar nomination at next year's Academy Awards, demanding a solo film featuring Ken. That is the comple...

UK Release Date:  23 September 2011 Certification:  12A Director:  Glenn Ficarra, John Requa Cast:  Kevin Bacon, Jonah Bobo, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Joey King, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Lio Tipton, Marisa Tomei Rating:   72 %                                                                                                                                                     Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love. is a delightful ...

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...