The James Marsh film review archive

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USA

  • Epic

    In a busy summer filled with animated blockbusters, the modest charms of Epic will struggle to find an audience, or make much of an impression. Read More

  • REVIEW: Epic

    I remember when I saw the first teaser trailer to Epic almost a year ago. Set to the gorgeous strains of Snow Patrol’s What If This Storm Ends? It looking… Read More

  • The Place Beyond The Pines

    It has taken a long time for Derek Cianfrance’s crime drama to make it to Hong Kong (in fact it doesn’t even open officially here for another month) but it… Read More

  • Disconnect

    Murderball director Henry Alex Rubin turns his hand to fiction in this multi-stranded drama examining different forms of cyber-crime and our interconnectedness through technology. Similar in tone to something like… Read More

  • Citizen Kane

    The first time I’ve seen Orson Welles’ mould-breaking classic on the big screen, and it looked as wonderful as ever. Not much to say that has not been said already,… Read More

  • John Dies at the End

    A rather baffling melange of horror, science-fiction and comedy that screams out to be embraced as a late night cult classic in the vein of Repo Man or director Don… Read More

  • Side Effects

    For what is purported to be his final theatrical release, director Steven Soderbergh goes for a pulpy trashy thriller rather than anything too highbrow. Rooney Mara plays a troubled young… Read More

  • World War Z

    Plagued with problems every step of the way, running vastly overbudget, scraping and totally reshooting the entire third act, losing its core fanbase by largely disgarding Max Brooks’ source novel… Read More

  • Jodorowsky’s Dune

    Chilean-born Alejandro Jodorowsky is responsible for some of the weirdest, most psychedelic movies of the 1970s. His breakthrough hit was the quasi-Western El Topo which become a monster hit on… Read More

  • Smashed

    Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul are both excellent in this low budget comedy drama from director James Ponsoldt. They play a young couple, very much in love, who both… Read More

  • V/H/S/2

    This second dose of first person found footage horror antics from seven vivacious young filmmakers from around the world proves far too similar an experience as the first film did.… Read More

  • REVIEW: V/H/S/2

    I wasn’t overly enamoured by last year’s V/H/S but nevertheless I was looking forward to the follow-up, especially after early reports out of Sundance promised a leaner, more lighthearted affair… Read More

  • Identity Thief

    Melissa McCarthy continues her meteoric rise into the Hollywood comedy A-list, this time opposite perennial straight man Jason Bateman, as a habitual con artist who steals the identity of Sandy… Read More

  • To The Wonder

    Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Javier Bardem and Rachel McAdams star in the latest film from Terrence Malick, but despite some luminescent photography, it proves an intolerable snoozefest. Read More

  • After Earth

    Will Smith and son Jaden must face their fears after crashlanding on a post-apocalyptic Earth 1000 years in the future. M. Night Shyamalan directs this bland, uninspiring vanity project that… Read More

  • REVIEW: After Earth

    Will Smith continues to create work for his son and heir, Jaden, this time playing on a decimated, post-apocalyptic Earth. As was the case with fellow Scientologist Tom Cruise’s recent… Read More

  • Now You See Me

    Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco are The Four Horsemen – Las Vegas magicians who are also high profile bank robbers. Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent and Morgan… Read More

  • REVIEW: Now You See Me

    Louis LeTerrier delivers an Oceans 11 style caper flick in the world of David Copperfield celebrity magicians, infusing an unashamedly ludicrous plot with enough sparkle, sheen and high energy razzle… Read More