NEW RELEASES
A Walk Among the Tombstones: Liam Neeson pulls off anti-hero with conscience in a suspenseful 1999 period piece action thriller. **** TS
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: Pleasant, fairly inoffensive, slapstick family fare that is instantly forgettable. *** WP
Fed Up: As compelling as it is troubling, this documentary about the US food industry will outrage the viewer, but it is very much aimed at the US market. Intriguing, but hardly groundbreaking. *** WP
Horns: tonally uneven but a strong enough performance from Daniel Radcliffe as the number one suspect in his girlfriend’s murder, and some horror-comedy to hook supernatural thriller fans. *** HR
Oculus: Emphasising dread rather than gore, this horror goes for an open ending which could just spell the start of a chilling new franchise for the discerning horror fan. *** WP
Postman Pat 3D: Cute, but older kids will be bored, and really younger kids will be scared. Aim at about 4 to 6 year olds. *** TS
ON CIRCUIT
African Safari 3D: Lion specialist Kevin Harrison and elephant specialist Mara Douglas-Hamilton go on safari. (Not reviewed)
A Most Wanted Man: Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s character study of loneliness is set in the world of modern-day spycraft and the rendition of spies to the tender mercies of the US war on terror. **** TS
Annabelle: In this prequel and spin-off to The Conjuring, fans are informed on the origins of the infamous demonic doll, which unleashed terror in the life of John and Mia Form. While the director does a commendable job creating an ambience of fear, and actress Annabelle Wallis is forceful in her role, the storyline seems rather half-baked as it glosses over the all-important cult angle. *** DT
Boyhood: Richard Linklater takes his time to tell the story of one child’s boyhood. While the technicality of filming is handled on an epic scale, the story, which delves into the human condition, is intimate. **** TS
Brick Mansions: Hollywood rehash of a fun French adventure in which an undercover cop and an ex-convict navigate a ghetto in order to disarm a bomb. Great parkour sequences. *** TS
Calvary: Brendon Gleeson gives a strong performance as a good-hearted Catholic priest being held to account for the sins of the church in an eccentric little Irish village. **** TS
Eliza Graves: Period mystery thriller based on Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether. (Not reviewed)
204: Getting Away With Murder: Info-heavy, this feature documentary unpacks the people and detail behind the killing of Brett Kebble, according to the people most involved. *** TS
Gone Girl: Ben Affleck plays a husband who is accused of murdering his famous wife Amy (Rosamund Pike). A dark, twisted, psychologically beguiling offering, this movie is skilfully threaded with an identifiable sense of realism. *** DT
La Grande Belezza (The Great Beauty): Ambitious, beautifully filmed, thoroughly enthralling, this Italian character exploration is virtuoso filmmaking from director Paul Sorrentino. **** HR
Let’s Be Cops: This would-be comedy does nothing with the admittedly strong chemistry between leads Damon Wayans Jr and Jake Johnson. * WP
Love is All You Need: Danish director Susanne Bier teases warm performances out of Pierce Brosnan and Trine Dyrholm in a picturesque Italian setting, redeeming the fluffy storyline. *** WP
Lucy: Le Femme Nikita meets The Fifth Element, which is cool on the one hand because it’s aaaaalll Luc Besson. But this is just Besson unfocused. *** BG
Magic in the Moonlight: Woody Allen directs a period drama set on the Côte d’Azur in the 1920s. Gorgeous to look at, but fails in both rom and com stakes. Colin Firth makes an excellent arrogant old guy though. *** TS
No Se Aceptan Devoluciones (Instructions Not Included): Funny, sweet Mexican dramedy in which a clueless playboy turned stuntman has to raise a child. Polished and with some crossover appeal it is geared towards mainly Latinos in the know, but the surprisingly dark turn towards the end is welcome. *** WP
Snowpiercer: This stylish allegory about class, power structures and power run amok is wrapped up in the film tropes of an action flick, but works very well on both levels. Plus, Chris Evans does pained, troubled leader conflicted about leading, so well. **** TS
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cheesy, fun reboot if you don’t take it seriously, clichéd, plot light and dull if you take it seriously. *** TS
The 100-year-old man who climbed through a window and disappeared: Quirky, slightly absurd, darkly funny Swedish film about going with the flow, centred around a very ordinary guy. Sort of the Scandinavian version of Forrest Gump. **** TS
The Dolphin Tale 2: Just as sweet and amiable as the first film, this sequel is an old-fashioned drama for the whole family. *** WP
The Equalizer: Director Antoine Fuqua goes for stylish violence over dramatic characterisation. No matter how hard Denzil Washington tries, he can’t quite detract from all that brutality. HH TS
The Hundred Foot Journey: Lasse Hallström directs Helen Mirren in a predictable feel-good dramedy. *** HR
The Immigrant: Bleakly plotted but gorgeously filmed, this period drama gives us the dingy side of the American Dream, set in New York 1912. **** TS
The Maze Runner: Post-apocalyptic sci-fi with teenagers in a Lord of the Flies situation, but surrounded by a concrete maze rather than the deep blue sea. By the time the storyline implodes, you are vested in the well-acted characters and solid action sequences. *** TS