The Shout (1978)

 

 

A traveler by the name of Crossley forces himself upon a musician and his wife in a lonely part of Devon, and uses the aboriginal magic he has learned to displace his host. 

Well-made semi-horror tale seems more surreal than actually frightening, but is intriguing enough to hold your attention.

Halliwell*: "Curiously gripping but ultimately pointless fable, very well done to little purpose."

Maltin**1/2: "Well-filmed but obscure yarn...Worth a look on a slow evening." 

Big Game (2014)

A young teenager camping in the woods helps rescue the President of the United States when Air Force One is shot down near his campsite.

Likable, but otherwise run-of-the-mill actioner is obviously aimed at an more adolescent audience.

Paddington 2 (2017)

Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.

A sequel equally likeable and entertaining as the original, lively and suspenseful and Hugh Grant perfectly cast as the sneaky villain.

Perrier's Bounty (2009)

A gangster named Perrier looks to exact his revenge on a trio of fugitives responsible for the accidental death of one of his cronies.

Violent crime drama with some very black humour is watchable thanks to a good ensemble and lively direction.

Maltin***: "Dark humor cleverly softens the intensity of violent acts, which - one is ashamed to admit - generate a lot of laughs. Entire ensemble shines."

Closed Circuit (2013)

A high-profile terrorism case unexpectedly binds together two ex-lovers on the defense team - testing the limits of their loyalties and placing their lives in jeopardy.

Well-produced thriller offers good lead performances, atmosphere and some suspense, but the legal case itself is a bit dubious and the conspiracy unconvincing.

Maltin**: "Unusual premise might have lent itself to a more compelling film but the logistics and complications of the plot keep getting in the way. Film can't decide whether it wants to be an intelligent procedural or a character-driven drama. In the end it doesn't work as either."

The Iron Lady (2011)

An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene. 

Well-produced, but strangely neutral biopic that merely states that its protagonist was "controversial"; Meryl Streep's amazing performance is part of the problem as it beggars empathy for a person who would have never shown any herself.

Maltin**1/2: "Uneven biopic...We get a CliffsNotes review of her life and career, but nothing personal or professional is explored in a meaningful way except for Thatcher's stubbornness...It's not clear whether this [her later dementia] is meant to humanize or diminish her. Roach does a solid job playing Thatcher as a young woman, but it's Streep's towering and credible performance...that makes the movie worth seeing."