The Cynical Cinephiles

Director: Tate Taylor Cast: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez, Alison Janney. When it was announced that The Girl on the Train, the novel that rocked the world, was going to be made into a future film, enthusiastic fans jumped aboard the mystery-thriller express. News of acclaimed actress Emily Blunt portraying Rachel, the book's questionable but fascinating protagonist? Well consider me a part of the procession! However, the revelation that the film's setting would be moved from London to New York meant disgruntled passengers exited the hype train at the next station. With an already tumultuous relationship with audiences, does  The Girl on the Train  prove itself to be worth the price of the ticket? And more importantly - how long will this train metaphor last? Alcoholic divorcee Rachel (Emily Blunt) rides the train into Manhattan everyday, staring out of the window and fantasising about the life of a couple whose ...

Director : John Dower Cast : Louis Theroux Criticising Louis Theroux is not something that comes naturally or feels welcome to the humble reviewer. With his quintessentially British, quietly polite inquiries, he tends to ask the questions at the forefront of the viewer’s mind. Oftentimes unsettling his subjects with his interrogation of the most well-mannered kind, his programmes are frequently amusing and profound, but always engaging. Thus it is painful to express the ubiquitous disappointment that was present in the cinema at the special screening of My Scientology Movie . In the Question and Answer session following this showing of the film, Theroux was asked what it was that he could bring to the topic to give a fresh approach or shed new light. Notoriously difficult to infiltrate, the ‘religion’ of Scientology has been explored numerous times before. There was a definite lack of coverage of new ground. From various previous exposés of the enigmatic so-called ‘cult’, su...

Director: Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan Starring: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead During a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show , Daniel Radcliffe described Swiss Army Man as an amalgamation between the Farrelly brothers and Terrence Malick - two filmmakers whose works barely exist in the same realm. Naturally, this consensus of the film piqued my interest; just how wacky is Swiss Army Man ?   Wonderfully so. Stranded on a desert island with the possibility of rescue diminishing, Hank (Paul Dano) is moments away from committing suicide when a body washes upon the shore. Calling him Manny (Daniel Radcliffe) and discovering that he harnesses astonishing powers, Hank uses his abilities to survive in the wilderness and the two form an inseparable bond that defies all comprehension. Swiss Army Man, without a doubt, is one of the most singularly unique cinema-going experiences that you are likely to ever have. Consider this an astonishing feat as the...

Director: Colm McCarthy Cast: Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close, Paddy Considine, Sennia Nanua  The Girl with All the Gifts is a penetrating dystopian drama whose plot maintains optimum tension throughout yet unravels seductively, little by little. After a pandemic of cataclysmic proportions, humankind is spilt into two; the ‘hungries’ and the ‘friendlies’ – you can do the maths regarding which are blood-thirsty zombies and which are not. However, a beacon of hope arises in the form of a group of children of the ‘hungry’ persuasion, but with the bonuses of emotion and speech. One particular hybrid child outshines the rest on account of her pragmatic sensibilities and ostensible willingness to suppress her undead urges. A capital example of the storytelling mantra ‘show, don’t tell’, this film gives wads of narrative explanation gradually, and satisfyingly, giving just enough information to tease the audience. We’re introduced to Melanie, the titular gift-possessing girl, wh...