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:  20 January 2023 Certification:  18 Director:  Damien Chazelle Cast:  Jovan Adepo, Diego Calva, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Li Jun Li, Tobey Maguire, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Eric Roberts, Jean Smart, Olivia Wilde Rating:   89 % Review: Manny Torres - "I just love watching movies, you know?" Nellie LaRoy - "I love watching movies too." This is the representation I needed in film.   Babylon is Damien Chazelle's love letter to Hollywood, the era of transition between the silent film and the modern motion picture, but more importantly cinema itself. The genre of glorified depictions of Hollywood often felt pretentious to me ( Sunset Boulevard ) but both Babylon and Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood have potential to be amongst my favourite films of all time upon rewatch. Chazelle handles the deconstruction of Hollywood with expert precision, essentially belittling the dream of being involved in film production - pr...

UK Release Date:  01 January 2015 Certification:  15 Director:  Alejandro González Iñárritu Cast:  Lindsay Duncan, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts Rating:   47% Review: Winner of three Oscars, including best picture and best director at the 87th Academy Awards, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is essential viewing for any modern cinephile.  A fading actor (Riggan Thomson) struggles to be taken seriously following his retirement as superhero, Birdman, attempting to mount a comeback with a Broadway play before succumbing to his alter ago towards the end. The film acts as a metaphorical representation of Michael Keaton's career after he portrayed the caped crusader in 1989's Batman and returned this year in The Flash .  First of all, the camera work is exquisite. Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography is extraordinary. He is given numerous instances to simply show off his e...

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:  27 December 1971 Certification:  18 Director:  William Friedkin Cast:  Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi, Gene Hackman, Bill Hickman, Frédéric de Pasquale, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider Rating:   68 % Review: Two years prior to the release of esteemed horror The Exorcis t, director, William Friedkin took to the streets of New York crafting a gritty crime thriller very much of its time. The French Connection picked up five Oscars at the 44th Academy Awards as well as introducing the world to Roy Scheider.  The French Connection is complete with sequences of great quality action, a predecessor of the thrill of Michael Mann's Heat . Numerous devilishly designed and thought-out set-pieces unprecedented for 1971 that surprisingly still hold up. The intricate, prolonged car chase stands out. No dialogue plays as the film lets the sheer power of the engine and the overhead train tracks put the audience on edge.  The film often relies on its stu...

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:  23 September 2022 Certification:  15 Director:  Olivia Wilde Cast:  Kate Berlant, Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll, Kiki Layne, Chris Pine,  Florence Pugh, Timothy Simons, Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde Rating:   56%                                                                                                                                                                                          Review: Cl...