Mac's Movies

UK Release Date: 26 December 2007 Certification: 15 Director: Francis Lawrence Cast: Alice Braga, Will Smith, Willow Smith, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield Rating: 76%   I Am Legend is based on the 1954 book written by Richard Matheson.  Review:  This blog post is written in week 5 of the lockdown in the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic. I wanted to watch, and review, Francis Lawrence's 2007 I Am Legend, starring Will Smith.  In I Am Legend Will Smith stars as military scientist, Robert Neville one of the few survivors left in an apocalyptic world created by a deadly virus. Although immune to the virus, Neville isn't alone in a seemingly desolate New York City. Mutant victims of the virus - 'Dark-seekers' - lurk in the shadows, transformed into carnivorous monsters.  The parallels with the coronavirus pandemic have lead Will Smith to say that he "felt responsible for a lot of the misinformation about the novel coronavirus." Wil...

UK Release Date: 12 January 2007 Certification: 12A Director: Gabriele Muccino Cast: Dan Castellaneta, Kurt Fuller, Brian Howe, James Karen, Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith, Will Smith Rating: 99% "We can drive around all day, I don't believe you can do this." Review: The Pursuit of Happyness is an excellent biography, depicting struggling salesman Chris Gardener's attempt to raise his son in extreme poverty in San Francisco in the early 1980's. The main character, Chris Gardener, is sympathetically portrayed by Will Smith and the movie introduces his son, Jaden Smith as his on-screen offspring. The child actor [Jaden Smith is seven years old in The Pursuit of Happyness ] is cute, funny and above all believable in the role. Will Smith's performance means it is impossible to dislike Chris Gardener. No matter what happens to him and what obstacles are placed in his way, you're always rooting for him. Initially I was extremely sad for the positio...

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 ...

UK Release Date: 31 January 2020 Certification: PG Director: Marielle Heller Cast: Eric Colantoni, Chris Cooper, Tom Hanks, Maryann Plunkett, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson Rating:   82 % We could all use a little kindness. Review:  A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood is a delightful movie centred on the beloved child entertainer, the late Mister Rogers - a fond icon of many an American's childhood. Even though he hosted a children's show, the movie covers some mature themes like depression and the self-control of our emotions. The themes are particularly relevant in today's society where mental well-being is such an important issue. Tom Hanks superbly personifies Mister Rogers. Throughout  A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood the character is extremely caring, interested and kind, backing up my opinion that Tom Hanks is the greatest man to ever walk the Earth. Chris Cooper and Matthew Rhys are also excellent in supporting roles, perfectly portrayin...

UK Release Date: 30 May 2014 Certification: 12A Director: Doug Liman Cast: Jonas Armstrong, Emily Blunt, Tom Cruise, Brendan Gleeson, Kick Gurry, Bill Paxton, Tony Way Rating: 41% Live: Die: Repeat Review: A movie based on a Japanese graphic novel [All You Need Is Kill by  Hiroshi Sakurazaka]   about an alien invasion and exploring the concept of time loops, what could possibly go wrong? The answer, almost everything!  There was little to no action and I struggled to engage with the storyline or characters. I'm starting to believe that Tom Cruise is obligated to ride a motorcycle in every movie he appears in. His performance, like the movie, didn’t stand out and wasn’t particularly memorable. Perhaps more surprising was my ambivalence to the highly rated Emily Blunt. To me her character felt like a generic female action hero that had been completely copied and pasted from countless other movies. The chemistry between the two was awful, it was almost lik...

UK Release Date: 16 July 2010 Certification: 12A Director: Christopher Nolan Cast: Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Dileep Rao, Ken Watanabe Rating: 100% The dream is real. Review: Christopher Nolan has quickly established himself as my favourite director and after watching Inception , this view has been reinforced further. I love how h e is able to convey a complex story that is easy enough to follow on first viewing, but equally adds so much more on further viewings.  Leonardo DiCaprio is excellent as Cobb, a complex and intriguing lead character. Cobb's struggles with reality become more and more evident as the movie goes on and DiCaprio deserves full credit for this as movies tend not to be shot in chronological order. Cobb's partner, Arthur is played brilliantly by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (which probably landed him his role in The Dark Knight Rises , also directed by Christopher ...

In preparation for a potential future article I met with and interviewed two members of staff from The Glasgow Film Theatre (The GFT) : Lindsay Clydesdale, Marketing Manager and Rebecca McSheaffrey, Children and Young People Coordinator. The transcript of the interview, which took place late last year (17 October 2019) appears below.  What do you do at the Glasgow Film Theatre?   Lindsay: My name is Lindsay and I am the Marketing Manager. I look after all aspects of marketing for The GFT along with the film festivals we run, which are the Glasgow Film Festival and Glasgow Youth Film Festival. In terms of marketing, this covers dealings with the media, advertising, our website and social media and any printed materials we produce, like brochures, flyers or leaflets – so, it’s quite a varied role.  Rebecca: I’m Becca, I’m the Children and Young People Coordinator. I look after our Children and Youth Programme, which ranges from wee five-year olds all the w...