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Showing posts from November, 2015

'Labor Day' (12A)

*** DVD Release On a rare trip into the nearest town, Henry and his reclusive, depressive mother, Adele, are approached by a mysterious man, seeking sanctuary in their home whilst he evades being rearrested after escaping from hospital.   Told through the eyes of cusp-of-puberty Henry (Gattlin Griffith), this is a rites of passage story masquerading as a love story between emotionally distraught Adele (Kate Winslet) and escaped convict, Frank (Josh Brolin). Focussing on the central three, the film is a sort of kitchen sink drama, studying how the lives of Henry and Adele change for the better when Frank enters their lives. It's obviously quite clichéd: Frank is the all-male father and lover figure, a handy man, who can also cook amazingly, and play baseball like a professional. He's a role model for Henry, who is beginning to learn about girls, whilst also being a lover to Adele, in terms of emotional support and friendship rather than physically. The depiction of

'Spectre' (12A)

**** After a mission in Mexico City goes awry, James Bond finds himself on the tail of top-secret crime organisation, SPECTRE. Haunted by events and enemies from his past, Bond must track down the elusive Mr. White to break into the top of the organisation, which also threatens to overthrow MI6 and the 00 programme.   This is not Skyfall , so you should stop expecting it to be from before you take your seat in the cinema. Whilst its predecessor was an art-house film disguised as a Bond outing, lamenting on trust, friendship and the inevitable passage of time, Spectre is an all out action film, jumping from excellent set piece to excellent set piece without much time for lamentation of any kind. It is, as it were, a return to the 'Classic Bond' films, jumping from country to country, with Bond equipped sporting an outstanding wardrobe and a sense of humour rarely seen before. If Skyfall was all depth , Spectre is all surface, but that by no means makes it a poor film,