Eleanor Reviews

Director:  Ben Wheatley  Cast:  Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas  Where can I watch?:   Rebecca  is streaming on  Netflix Rating:  2.5/5 Review:  Director Ben Wheatley has a rather eclectic, and certainly unusual, back catalogue. From the darkly comic, low-budget Sightseers to the hypnotic High-Rise (a novel once considered un-filmable) and even to his star-studded turn at the helm of Free Fire , each of his movies is peppered with black humour, absurdity and a generous dollop of creativity. It seems strange, then, that his adaptation of Rebecca should be so wholly unremarkable - it actually feels as though Wheatley's flair has been stifled. At points, there are hints of his old ways, and there is an undeniable sense of unease: dogs barking at nothing; sleepwalking; a nightmare in which weeds suck our nameless protagonist (Lily James) downwards; and a grandmother who eerily claims that Maxim de Winter's (Armie Hammer) new bride isn't his wife. However, all thi

Director:  Aaron Sorkin Cast:  Eddie Redmayne. Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt  Where can I watch?:   The Trial of the Chicago 7  is streaming on  Netflix Rating:  4/5 Review: I'll get something off my chest straight away: I'm something of an Aaron Sorkin fangirl. As a young'un, I was subjected to VHS re-runs of The West Wing,  something that I initially rolled my eyes at but soon came to rather enjoy (President Bartlett for life, am I right?). As a would-be-wish-I-could writer, Sorkin's command of dialogue and interpersonal relationships always struck me, so seeing his name attached to this true story immediately appealed to me. Taking the director's helm for a second time, Sorkin unites an all-star ensemble cast in this poignant, oft-infuriating retelling of the court case surrounding the Chicago Seven. Playing with the timeline to reveal the actual events of the night of the 1968 riot, Sorkin expertly crafts a quick-witted, gripping and, at

Director:  Harry Bradbeer Cast:  Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Helena Bonham Carter Where can I watch?:   Enola Holmes is streaming on Netflix Rating:  3.5/5 Review: In the last ten years alone, we've had a fair few renditions of the Sherlock Holmes story: the Guy Ritchie/Downey Jr excursion; the truly horrendous Holmes & Watson (I just watched the trailer and decided it was trash); and the star-making BBC series (we NEVER talk about that last series, OK? Shudder). Into the mix, we now add this very 20th Century edition, which focuses on the Holmes' little sister, Enola - and I'm glad to report it's far better than the Moffat/Gatiss attempt (OK, I won't mention it again). Then again, it's probably wrong to compare Enola Holmes to those series, as it feels more similar in tone to the Ritchie/Downey outing, with action and adventure prevailing over any real clue-solving. Enter our heroine, Enola (Millie Bobby Brown). Addressing the camera a la