NEW RELEASES
Blood Ties: 70s crime drama which concentrates on the complicated relationship between a straight-laced cop brother played by Billy Crudup and his charismatic but violent criminal older brother played by Clive Owen. *** TS
Interstellar: Star-laden in more ways than one, this is a film of huge ideas, directed by Christopher Nolan with characteristic big feel, aided by awe-inspiring cinematography from Hoyte van Hoytema. *** TS
MacBeth: Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, with a searing performance from star soprano Anna Netrebko as Lady Macbeth, launches the new season of New York Met opera films. Directed by Fabio Luisi, this is 193 minutes long, with one intermission. (Not reviewed)
The Good Lie: Director Philippe Falardeau’s follow-up to his Oscar-nominated Monsieur Lazhar focuses on Sudanese refugees seeking a new life in America. Stars Arnold Oceng and Reese Witherspoon. *** HR
The Prince: Bruce Willis, Jason Patric and John Cusack in a film about a retired assassin who has to get back in the game when his daughter is kidnapped. Taken this is not. ** HR
What If: Daniel Radcliffe manages to make us forget for a while the small boy with the specs, white owl and magical wand in this sweet, slightly zany rom-com, because the chemistry between him and Zoe Kazan, as two awkward introverts, is believable. *** WP
ON CIRCUIT
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: Pleasant, fairly inoffensive, slapstick family fare that is instantly forgettable. *** WP
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
A Walk Among the Tombstones: Liam Neeson pulls off anti-hero with conscience in a suspenseful 1999 period piece action thriller. **** TS
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
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
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
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
Let’s Be Cops: This would-be comedy does nothing with the admittedly strong chemistry between leads Damon Wayans Jr and Jake Johnson. H 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
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
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. ** 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