James Marsh

The Fatal Encounter

Following the success of Masquerade last year, South Korea has rediscovered its taste for period drama chamber pieces, and Lee Jae-gyu’s The Fatal Encounter more than delivers, both in dramatic… Read More
The Fatal Encounter

Following the success of Masquerade last year, South Korea has rediscovered its taste for period drama chamber pieces, and Lee Jae-gyu’s The Fatal Encounter more than delivers, both in dramatic… Read More
Filth

James McAvoy undergoes a bold reinvention to become corrupt, alcoholic, drug-adled Detective Sgt. Bruce Robertson in Jon S. Baird’s spirited adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel. Vying for a promotion by… Read More
The Grand Budapest Hotel

For his eighth feature, writer-director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom) achieves the enviable feat of creating perhaps his best film yet, without relinquishing his unique signature style. All… Read More
A Million Ways to Die in the West

Definitely has moments of laugh out loud humour throughout, but in between (and some of the gaps between laughs are agonisingly long) we are forced to watch what is simply… Read More
Maleficent

I enjoyed this reworking of Sleeping Beauty for the most part, and appreciated its efforts to take the Frozen route of showing women they don’t need a Prince Charming to… Read More
Maleficent

I enjoyed this reworking of Sleeping Beauty for the most part, and appreciated its efforts to take the Frozen route of showing women they don’t need a Prince Charming to… Read More
A Million Ways To Die In The West

Definitely has moments of laugh out loud humour throughout, but in between (and some of the gaps between laughs are agonisingly long) we are forced to watch what is simply… Read More
X-Men: Days Of Future Past

This seventh instalment in the X-Men franchise doesn’t make a lick of sense but I still found it to be good fun, not least in its valiant efforts to tie… Read More
Coming Home

Zhang Yimou returns to his more humble, socially conscious roots, reuniting with former muse Gong Li for an earnest, if rather underwhelming, adaptation of Yan Geiling’s The Criminal Lu Yanshi.… Read More
The Raid 2

An operatic crime epic that’s as beautiful in its calm moments as it is brutal with its action. I discuss the film in more detail with Fernando on the podcast… Read More
Black Coal, Thin Ice

This year’s surprise Golden Bear winner at Berlin is a bleak, yet engrossing whodunnit set in the wintry climes of Northern China. For his third feature film, writer-director Diao Yinan… Read More
Overheard 3

The third instalment of the successful Hong Kong surveillance/financial thriller franchise again employs the same big-name cast, but in entirely new roles. Read my review Read More
Campus Confidential

Taiwanese teen romance about the college princess, worshipped by every boy on campus, who is rescued from a dried up lake by the most awkward geeky guy imaginable. However, this… Read More
Devil’s Knot

True story of small-town injustice that saw an entire community turn on a group of teenage weirdos after three young boys are found horrifically murdered. With no real evidence beyond… Read More
Genocide

Also known as War of the Insects, this is a real sci-fi horror oddity from Criterion’s Eclipse series, When Horror Came to Shochiku, about a swarm of marauding bugs capable… Read More
Devil’s Knot

True story of small-town injustice that saw an entire community turn on a group of teenage weirdos after three young boys are found horrifically murdered. With no real evidence beyond… Read More
Campus Confidential

Taiwanese teen romance about the college princess, worshipped by every boy on campus, who is rescued from a dried up lake by the most awkward geeky guy imaginable. However, this… Read More