Eleanor Reviews

Director:  Sydney Sibilia Cast:  Elio Germano, Matilda De Angelis, Tom Wlaschiha Where can I watch?:   Rose Island is streaming on Netflix . Rating:  5/5 Review: Everything is a bit rubbish at the moment; every time you turn on the news, something dire is happening, and these long, dark, cold evenings aren't exactly food for the soul. I was feeling a bit glum when bae suggested Rose Island (or  L'incredibile storia dell'Isola delle Rose , to give the film it's Italian title) as the evening's viewing, and I was initially unenthusiastic at the prospect of watching a light-hearted movie about an Italian idealist who decided to build his very own island in international waters in a bid to create a place that was truly free (and maybe to win over a girl as well). However, what we discovered was an absolute gem of a film that's heart-warming and cheering in equal measure. Characterised by quirky yet wholly believable characters, some genuine laugh-out-loud lines (I ch

Director:  Patty Jenkins Cast:  Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal Where can I watch?:   Wonder Woman 1984 is streaming on HBO Max . Rating:  3.5/5 Review:  2020 has been light on blockbuster action, with neither a Marvel or Star Wars film to engross audiences for the first time in years. After the confusing melee of Tenet , Wonder Woman 1984 's delayed Christmas release seems perfectly primed to wrap up this tumultuous year in a blaze of superhero glory... Only, it doesn't quite manage it. Reprising her role as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince, Gal Gadot joins forces again with director Patty Jenkins in this slightly chaotic outing which combines big 80s hair with a wish-fulfilling stone and a tragic love story (again). Bewigged, suited, booted and demonstrating his most maniacal side is Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord, an wannabe oil tycoon who finds his wish for success warped into global devastation. Then there's Kristen Wiig as Barbara, an overlooked colleague o

Director:  George Clooney Cast:  George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler Where can I watch?:   The Midnight Sky is streaming on Netflix Rating:  3.5/5 Review: It's recognised in Hollywood that, if you, as a leading man, grow a fantastically large beard, ditch the wrinkle cream and find yourself dying of a generic terminal illness, you're playing for the Oscar. In The Midnight Sky , George Clooney ditches the Nespresso, swaps the clean shave for a large grey facial carpet and proceeds to cough and vomit whenever there's a lull in the conversation. Directing himself, Clooney is clearly gunning for an award of some kind, but, for all the strong points, The Midnight Sky is a bit all over the place to secure a place in the sci-fi/space exploration hall of fame. The story is divided in three distinct pieces: a flashback story; a post-apocalyptic wilderness characterised by Augustine (Clooney) and Iris (newcomer Caoilinn Springall); and a spaceship sequence, w

Director:  Pete Docter  Cast:  (voices) Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Angela Bassett Where can I watch?:   Soul is streaming on Disney+ Rating:  4/5 Review: Pixar has a knack of dealing with tough subjects in a way that doesn't terrify small children and yet somehow reduces adults to weeping wrecks. The studio's latest, released on Disney+ on Christmas Day, is no different. Joe (Jamie Foxx), a middle school music teacher, suddenly finds that his time is up and that he's heading towards the Great Beyond. Fleeing, he stumbles across the Great Before, where souls must find their 'spark' if they're to be sent to Earth. It's here that he meets 22 (Tina Fey), a soul who's been stuck in the Great Before for hundreds of years. Calamity ensues when the pair find themselves back on Earth, but not in the bodies they were expecting. As you'd expect from a Pixar , Soul is beautifully observed, from Mr Mittens' love of a sunbeam, to the golden glow of