Ex Machina (2015): Two Line Review

A brilliantly mind-turning concept that fully explores the idea of AI self-awareness. The tension and storyline unfolds steadily with great performances from all three main cast. Best sci-fi of the year!

Thinking Film Rating: 8.5/10

Gone Girl (2014): Two Line Review

A gripping, dark thriller that is recognisably helmed by David Fincher. Slightly let down by one-dimensional performances of two dimensional characters, a trip to the cinema is still recommended.

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 8.7/10
Critics Opinion: 8.7/10

Gone Girl - David Fincher

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013): Two Line Review

A sequel that manages to outdo its predecessor. The gripping franchise continues with all cast on top form, Lawrence in particular. The gritty feel still shines through despite the heightened budget. 

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 7.8/10

Critics Opinion: 8.9/10

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Francis Lawrence

Wish I Was Here (2014): Two Line Review

A heartfelt and moving film that is that manages to capture the rawness and humour that was so present in Braff's breakout, Garden State. Two-hours that truly show the art and power of a movie. 

Thinking Film Rating: 8.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.2/10

Critics Opinion: 4.6/10

Wish I Was Here: Zach Braff

The Maze Runner (2014): Two Line Review

On the surface, the concept seems strong, unfortunately the storyline, acting and design didn't begin to match up. May hit it's existing fanbase, but can easily be passed by for everyone else.

Thinking Film Rating: 5/10

Public Opinion: 7.5/10
Critics Opinion: 6.2/10

The Maze Runner - Wes Ball

Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story (2009): Two Line Review

An engagingly brief look at the life of Eddie Izzard and the tenacity and belief that drove him. Full of early (ropey) sketches, with clips of his most famous moments, this is a must-see for Izzard fans. 

Thinking Film Rating: 7/10

Public Opinion: 7.2/10

Critics Opinion: N/A

Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story - Sarah Townsend

Fading Gigolo (2013): Two Line Review

While there is some nice cinematography, this film seems to meander slowly through it's story without much sense of character or plot explanations, accompanied by a distracting soundtrack.

Thinking Film Rating: 3/10

Public Opinion: 6.3/10
Critics Opinion: 5.4/10

Fading Gigolo - John Turturro

Locke (2013): Two Line Review

A one man tour-de-force from Tom Hardy, who shows his considerable skill in a film with an intriguing premise. Despite this, the story is only just engaging enough to see you through the 85 min run time.

Thinking Film Rating: 7.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.1/10

Critics Opinion: 8.9/10

Locke - Steven Knight

Rock of Ages (2012): Two Line Review

A fairly weak stage to screen adaptation with a predictable plot.  Full of classic songs (some were covered ok), but it was hard to see what the screen offered that the stage didn't do ten times better. 

Thinking Film Rating: 4/10

Public Opinion: 5.9/10

Critics Opinion: 4.1/10

Rock of Ages - Adam Shankman

What We Do In The Shadows (2014): Two Line Review

Fang-tastically funny vampire mockumentary with a fantastic ensemble performance, although Clement and Waititi steal the show. If you thought it was too late for a vampire parody, think again!

Thinking Film Rating: 8.5/10

Public Opinion: 8.2/10
Critics Opinion: 9.2/10

What We Do In The Shadows - Jermaine Clement & Taika Waititi

Hector and the Search For Happiness (2014): Two Line Review

While rather heavy-handed in it's core themes, this is a charming film with a great lead performance from Pegg. His travels have a real edge which makes the message all the more potent.

Thinking Film Review: 7.5/10

Public Opinion: 6.5/10
Critics Opinion: 2.5/10

Hector and the Search for Happiness - Peter Chelsom

Dead Poets Society (1989): Two Line Review

Whilst not appreciating poetry as much as the next person, this is a brilliant film with a strong message of Carpe Diem (seize the day)! A great ensemble performance, top a nicely told story.

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 8/10
Critics Opinion: 8.5/10

Dead Poets Society - Peter Weir

The Five-Year Engagement (2012): Two Line Review

A sub-par romantic-comedy despite the stellar cast, the characters ended up rather unlikable due to a weak script. The solutions seemed so obvious, it felt like the characters deserved their problems.

Thinking Film Review: 4/10

Public Opinion: 6.2/10
Critics Opinion: 6.3/10

The Five-Year Engagement - Nicholas Stoller

The Inbetweeners 2 (2014): Two Line Review

Had a few funny moments, but generally this follow up had unlikable, over-done characters (even the main four), needlessly crude humour and didn't seem to follow on from the last film at all.

Thinking Film Rating: 4.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.6/10
Critics Opinion: 8/10

The Inbetweeners 2 - Damon Beesley, Iain Morris

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): Two Line Review

Hands down, the best thing to come out of Marvel ever! Laugh-out-loud funny, cooky, incredibly entertaining and topped off with a great soundtrack - the blockbuster of the summer! 

Thinking Film Rating: 9/10

Public Opinion: 8.8/10

Critics Opinion: 9.2/10

Guardians of the Galaxy - James Gunn

Tangled (2010): Two Line Review

A Disney flick for the new generation; easy to watch, funny and, at times, touching. The story is pretty generic but, in touch with the new age, this princess feels like she actually has some depth. 

Thinking Film Review: 6.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.9/10
Critics Opinion: 8.9/10

Tangled - Nathan Greno, Byron Howard

Amélie (2001): Two Line Review

A feel-good charmer, this French flick manages a harmonious balance between quirky style and engaging story, while taking us on a magical trip across Paris with a great cast of characters.

Thinking Film Rating: 9.5/10

Public Opinion: 8.5/10

Critics Opinion: 8.8/10

Amélie - Jean Pierre Jeunet

Frozen (2013): Two Line Review

A relatively average Disney outing that had a number of glaring plot questions that were never explained. There are a few catchy songs and characters but the storyline is just so simple. 

Thinking Film Rating: 5.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.8/10
Critics Opinion: 8.9/10

Frozen - Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

Ratatouille (2007): Two Line Review

A nicely original Pixar animation celebrating food and France. Stereotypical characters are made up by an enchanting story and beautiful design, with a heartfelt message to follow your dreams.

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 8/10
Critics Opinion: 9.6/10

Ratatouille - Brad Bird

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014): Two Line Review

A brilliant addition to the franchise, Dawn of Apes takes CGI up a notch, with great turns from Serkis et al. A perfect blend of awesome action and emotional story makes for a great summer blockbuster.

Thinking Film Review: 8.5/10

Public Opinion: 8.6/10
Critics Opinion: 9.1/10

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Matt Reeves

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005): Two Line Review

A likeable comic crime caper with a fast-talking lead performance from Robert Downey Jnr. Played with self-reflexivity without overdoing it, to become a successful dark comedy. 

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 7.7/10

Critics Opinion: 8.4/10

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Shane Black

A Knight's Tale (2001): Two Line Review

A jovial medieval action/romance flick that doesn't take itself seriously, and although it break realism a few times, the solid, comical ensemble performances and storyline make it an entertaining film.

Thinking Film Rating: 6.5/10

Public Opinion: 6.9/10

Critics Opinion: 5.8/10

A Knight's Tale - Brian Helgeland

The Anomaly (2014): Two Line Review

Noel Clarke does Inception, sadly the low budget shows through this quite weak sci-fi. The basic concept is an interesting idea but the script, execution and performances are just not up to scratch.

Thinking Film Rating: 2/10

Public Opinion: 7.3/10
Critics Opinion: 0/10

The Anomaly - Noel Clarke

Three Colours: Blue (1993): Two Line Review

A strong piece of character exploration from Binoche et al, the film uses effectively simple methods to draw us into Julie's painful world. The music and imagery merge beautifully into a single entity.

Thinking Film Rating: 9/10

Public Opinion: 8/10
Critics Opinion: 10/10

Three Colours: Blue - Krzysztof Kieslowski

Rust and Bone (2012): Two Line Review

An engaging exploration into the complexity of human emotions, with two amazing performances from Cotillard and Schoenaerts, playing flawed, very human characters that find solice in each other.

Thinking Film Rating: 8.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.5/10
Critics Opinion: 8.2/10

Rust and Bone - Jacques Audiard

Chef (2014): Two Line Review

A fantastic feel-good comedy that has everything you could want: great dialogue, great cast, great performances, great soundtrack, and some great looking food. Favreau's passion is clearly evident!

Thinking Film Rating: 9.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.8/10
Critics Opinion: 8.7/10

Chef - Jon Favreau

French Kiss (1995): Two Line Review

A mildly funny, very 90s affair with some exaggerated performances from the European characters. Felt very much for a US audience, building the romanticism of the city, with a few funny one-liners.

Thinking Film Rating: 6/10

Public Opinion: 6.5/10
Critics Opinion: 4.5/10

French Kiss - Lawrence Kasdan

Twelve Monkeys (1995): Two Line Review

One of the best explorations of time travel, full of Gilliam's zany charm. The leads Willis, Stowe and Pitt all pull out fantastic performances, the plot is full of great twists with visual brilliance.

Thinking Film Rating: 9/10

Public Opinion: 8.1/10

Critics Opinion: 8.8/10

Twelve Monkeys - Terry Gilliam

Side Effects (2013): Two Line Review

More of a crime thriller than the psychological thriller that was sold, making the twist in this film mildly disappointing. Still, this is a strong genre piece that is both engaging and well-made.

Thinking Film Rating: 7/10

Public Opinion: 7.1/10
Critics Opinion: 8.3/10

Side Effects - Steven Soderbergh

The Fault In Our Stars (2014): Two Line Review

A well-made film that successfully captures it's target audience. While many will find this a bit overtly sentimental, there is a genuine air that shows some true heart. Recommended for romance fans.

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 

Critics Opinion:

The Fault In Our Stars - Josh Boone

Wreck-It Ralph (2012): Two Line Review

A brilliant concept that was well written and well-executed. This is a great dedication to the classic arcade games, and there is a lot of fun for younger and older audiences. Family recommended.

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 7.8/10

Critics Opinion: 8.6/10

Wreck-It Ralph - Rich Moore

Robot & Frank (2012): Two Line Review

A very human story that tied a brilliant script with a brilliant performance from Frank Langella. A simple yet surprisingly emotional concept that shows a future that feels like it could easily happen. 

Thinking Film Rating: 8.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.1/10

Critics Opinion: 8.6/10

Robot & Frank - Jake Schreier

Godzilla (2014): Two Line Review

While it had the usual blockbuster faults of overdone musical score and cliched plot points, the overall storyline was great and the CGI action sequences worked well without being overly gratuitous.

Thinking Film Rating: 7/10

Public Opinion: 7.2/10
Critics Opinion: 7.3/10

Godzilla - Gareth Edwards

Man of Steel (2013): Two Line Review

Relatively weak superhero action flick, that relied too much on the abundant action sequences and nowhere near enough on character development. Cinematography was nicely done though.

Thinking Film Rating: 4/10

Public Opinion: 7.3/10
Critics Opinion: 5.6/10

Man of Steel - Zack Snyder

Battle Royale (2000): Two Line Review

While the visual effects may be a little dated and overblown now, this is still an effective social critique with an interesting exploration of teen angst in an extreme situation. Who can you trust?

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 7.8/10

Critics Opinion: 8.6/10

Battle Royale - Kinji Fukasaku

Blue Is The Warmest Colour (2013): Two Line Review

Lead by two extremely committed performances, this raw and intense film explores the pain and pleasure of first love with an unflinching eye, a certain realism that is rarely experienced.

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 8/10
Critics Opinion: 9.1/10

Blue is the Warmest Colour - Abdellatif Kechiche

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005): Two Line Review

The first and arguably the best from Apatow's directing career, this film brings together a number of future American comedy talent. A solid script with frequent laughs if you're in the target audience.

Thinking Film Rating: 6.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.2/10
Critics Opinion: 8.5/10

The 40 Year Old Virgin - Judd Apatow

The Two Faces of January (2014): Two Line Review

A slow, meandering, thriller that is varyingly successful at maintaining a tense atmosphere. Performances from the three leads are solid. The design and locations throughout are superb.

Thinking Film Rating: 6/10

Public Opinion: 6.9/10
Critics Opinion: 8.2/10

The Two Faces of January - Hossein Amini

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014): Two Line Review

The best superhero movie of the year and possibly the best from the X-Men series. Surprisingly character driven, with great action sequences that were very well done. Recommended blockbuster!

Thinking Film Rating: 8.5/10

Public Opinion: 8.7/10
Critics Opinion: 9.1/10

X-Men: Days of Future Past - Bryan Singer

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011): Thinking Film Review

Easily one of the best rom-coms to come out of the States in recent years. The great cast, honest, witty script and plenty of Gosling eye-candy make any faults and predictability very easy to forgive.

Thinking Film Rating: 7.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.5/10

Critics Opinion: 7.8/10

Crazy, Stupid, Love. - Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

The Breakfast Club (1985): Two Line Review

Very typical 80s film, little character and storyline development but with a bit of social critique thrown in. An interesting look a 'circumstantial friendships' - let's face it, they won't be friends tomorrow.

Thinking Filming Rating: 6.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.9/10

Critics Opinion: 9.1/10

The Breakfast Club - John Hughes 

Wanderlust (2012): Two Line Review

A number of great actors ... a very mediocre film. A nice enough story but a lack of humour and general like for the characters and their decisions make for a reasonably dull couple of hours. 

Thinking Film Rating: 3/10

Public Opinion: 5.6/10

Critics Opinion: 5.9/10

Wanderlust - David Wain 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): Two Line Review

The peak of British comedy! Monty Python's delightful blend of timeless silliness and hilarity. Quality actor's performances as a variety of colourful characters. The highest of recommendations.

Thinking Film Rating: 10/10

Public Opinion: 8.4/10

Critics Opinion: 9.7/10

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones

Pantani: The Accidental Death of a Cyclist (2014): Two Line Review

A sad and sombre tale of how the politics of cycling destroyed a raw talent. The filmmakers tell a relatively unbiased tale, and allows general sports fans an interesting insight into 90s cycling.

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 7.7/10
Critics Opinion: 7.7/10

Pantani: The Accident Death of a Cyclist - James Erskine

Senna (2010): Two Line Review

An interesting insight into the life of Ayrton Senna, told well mixing plenty interviews and archive footage. While over-idolising at times, it gives an engaging account of Senna's career struggles.

Thinking Film Rating: 7.5/10

Public Opinion: 8.6/10
Critics Opinion: 9.2/10

Senna - Asif Kapadia

This Means War (2012): Two Line Review

Overtly American action rom-com with a few laugh out loud moments, but generally too cheesy and shallow. The storyline was spelled out too clearly and the ending was painfully predictable.

Thinking Film Rating: 3.5/10

Public Opinion: 6.4/10
Critics Opinion: 2.6/10

This Means War - McG

Transcendence (2014): Two Line Review

A great concept that was maybe made too shallow for mainstream audiences, the performances were good, and story developed well, but disappointed with the obligatory ending action sequence.

Thinking Film Rating: 5.5/10

Public Opinion: 6.4/10
Critics Opinion: 1.9/10

Transcendence - Wally Pfister

Noah (2014): Two Line Review

A brilliant, beautiful and sometimes brutal film that did amazingly well at unveiling the darker side of the well-known tale. The animation was different but fitted the mythical qualities of the story. 

Thinking Film Rating: 8/10

Public Opinion: 6.5/10
Critics Opinion: 7.7/10

Noah - Darren Aronofsky

We're The Millers (2013): Two Line Review

Surprisingly funny comedy that hits the American mainstream spot. Sudeikis, the highlight, is on top form and carries the film, well supported by Poulter, Roberts and Aniston. Light and easy watching!

Thinking Film Rating: 6.5/10

Public Opinion: 7.3/10
Critics Opinion: 4.7/10

We're The Millers - Rawson Marshall Thurber

Loch Ness (1996): Two Line Review

One man's hunt to disprove the Loch Ness told with very little CGI. Some witty dialogue, talented performances and a touch of romance make for an easily watchable and heartwarming film.  

Thinking Film Rating: 6.5/10

Public Opinion: 5.3/10

Critics Opinion: NYA

Loch Ness - John Henderson