Thom Goddard Film Reviews for West Essex newspapers and magazines

NOVEMBER 2014

There is an inevitability about November. Winter is just round the corner, Christmas shopping begins earlier each year and film releases come in two distinct categories: Academy Award hunters and the also-rans. That means some fabulous films on the big screen but also some stinkers so choose wisely. Enjoy!

Released: 7th November - Interstellar - 4 stars

Christopher Nolan (the latest Batman films and Inception) directs a stunning tale of discovery. A team of astronauts, led on another possible Oscar-winning acting performance from Matthew McConaughey, travel through a wormhole in deep space to transcend the limits of human beings. The reason for the journey, to save an environmentally damaged Earth, is hokey and some of the science is baffling but the visuals break new boundaries themselves making this almost unmissable.

14th November - The Drop - 4 stars

This is a strong, character driven thriller. Tom Hardy plays Bob Saginowski, a server in a bar that launders money for the Chechen mafia. When the bar is robbed, Bob notices a crucial detail that means he can find out who committed the crime. But when you're working for criminals, discovering all the details doesn't lead to happy endings. This is a very dark film with a gritty and tense plot, and a cast that doesn't miss a beat.

21st November - No Good Deed - 2 stars

The story is simple: A young mother, home alone, invites a handsome car accident victim in to her house. Desperate for attention, she doesn't realise he is a multiple murderer. On one terrifying night she must fight for her life and the lives of her children. While Idris Elba is imposing as the stranger, the film takes a long time to get going and, for a thriller, this is painfully slow with plot twists visible from a mile away.

28th November - Horrible Bosses 2 - 2 stars

This sequel sees Dale, Kurt and Nick, the stars of the first film, launching their own business. Just as things start to take off, a savvy investor appears to ruin them. So the trio decide to kidnap the investor's son and order a ransom to take back their business. While not appalling, the real shame is while the cast are the same, the director is different and he has only made the film 'Sex Drive' before. And this is not much better than that.

DVDs to please

With Christmas just around the corner, this month's DVD and Blu-Ray releases will be great presents for the festive period. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (3rd November on Blu-Ray rrp: £23.99 and DVD rrp: £19.99) is the classic Tolkien tale that looks simply stunning on high definition Blu-Ray. A thrilling adventure for all the family is X-Men: Days of Future Past (10th November on Blu-Ray rrp: £19.99 and DVD rrp: £14.99). The main releases of the month are the over-the-top blockbuster Transformers: Age of Extinction (17th November on Blu-Ray rrp: £19.99 and DVD rrp: £14.99) and the superhero film to end all superhero films Guardians of the Galaxy (24th November on Blu-Ray rrp: £19.99 and DVD rrp: £14.99). Enjoy!