Eleanor Reviews

Director: Steven Spielberg Cast:  Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bruce Greenwood  Where can I watch?:  You can watch The Post on Netflix . Rating:  4/5 Review:  Spielberg. Hanks. Streep. They may be part of cinema's 'old guard' now, but there's still something reassuring about seeing these 'titans of the movies' getting together to make a film - you immediately know you're in safe hands. Taking on the momentous occasion when the female-owned Washington Post took on the US government over the publication of a damning Vietnam report, this meaty topic certainly gives our auteurs something to sink their teeth into: there are secret phone calls; tense standoffs; scenes of the printing press whirring and clanking; and Tom Hanks posturing like only Tom Hanks can. Despite the outcome being well-known, such is Spielberg's deft direction, it's still nail-biting in some sections, as characters grapple with the enormity of t...

***** A poor family infiltrates the lives of their rich counterpart with disastrous consequences. You've undoubtedly heard of Parasite by now, but if you've somehow missed the furore about this strange, disturbing drama, allow me to bring you somewhat up to speed. Back in the summer of 2019, it picked up the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and rocketed into the spotlight. Since then, it's made history by becoming the first South Korean film to ever be nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards and, at last night's SAG Awards, it shocked the cinematic world by collecting the accolade of Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (yeah, quite the mouthful!). Oh, it also picked up Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes and has a handful of nominations for the BAFTAs. Phew! So, what's all the fuss about? In the opening few moments, we meet a family that's fallen upon hard times - all four o...

***** With their father at war, sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy navigate the difficulties of growing up, bumping into some colourful characters along the way. For many generations of readers, and hopefully many more to come, Little Women has been a treasured tale. For me, first gifted the audio book and then the novel, it's a story that instantly reminds me of my childhood. When I came to study the text for my degree, the class ubiquitously agreed that it was a nostalgic treat to revisit the book again - perhaps why so few of us chose to analyse it for our end-of-module exam. Sitting in a cinema, packed with women of all ages, that same sense of nostalgia washed over me as Greta Gerwig deftly and sensitively interwove two time frames (the youthfulness of the Little Women story with the bittersweet nature of the sequel, Good Wives ), whilst simultaneously reintroducing me to some of my favourite literary creations. Let's start with the elephant in the room - Gr...

***** In the midst of World War One, two young British soldiers are tasked with delivering a message that will save 1600 soldiers from certain death. Before 1917 was even released in the UK, it was already collecting accolades aplenty, with big wins at the Golden Globes in the first week of January. Plus, with nominations for Best Film and Best Director at the BAFTAs and almost guaranteed nods at the Oscars, it seems like Sam Mendes' foray into the war genre will be taking home yet more gongs before awards season is over. Naturally, when a film receives quite so much hype, the idea of going to see it can make me feel a little trepidatious - however, as a self-confessed lover of war films, there was no way I was going to miss this... I needn't have been worried: without a doubt, 1917 is one of the best films I've seen in a very long time. From the moment the central pair of young soldiers, Blake and Schofield (Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay, respec...

*** When Earth is hit by a series of electromagnetic surges from outer space, astronaut Roy McBride is tasked with reaching out to his long-lost father, who was last known to be somewhere on the periphery of Neptune, searching for new forms of life. Space has always been a source of mystery and fascination for mankind. From prehistoric cave paintings and stone circles that indicate some form of worship of the Solar System, to the latest drives to reach Mars and further into space, the realms beyond our own planet have led us to question a plethora of philosophical conundrums. In the case of Ad Astra , however, my only question was: Who on earth allowed this script to be filmed!? It's not just that James Gray and Ethan Gross' screenplay is clunky and packed with lines a la Basil Exposition (we'll come to this later) that makes it so infuriating, though - it's the unshakable feeling I got that both had read a little bit of Nietzsche and fallen into some bl...

***/**** (3.5 stars) DVD release/Available to stream Disclaimer: The version I saw had been edited for content on an Emirates flight. Queen 's appearance at Live Aid is considered one of the most iconic musical performances of the 20th Century. And yet, it almost didn't happen. Charting their formation, meteoric rise and subsequent heartbreak, Bohemian Rhapsody tells the story of one of the world's most loved rock bands. Queen 's songs are the very definition of 'timeless'. I remember listening to We Are The Champions on cassette tape (yes, I am that old!) in my Dad's car as a child, and stomping my feet along to We Will Rock You. Once I attended a concert at the Emirates Stadium and, before the band came on, they played Bohemian Rhapsody on the loud speaker - every one of the thousands of people in the ground sang along at full volume (including the high notes of 'Galileo'!) and there may even have been some air guitar here ...

***** It's 1962. Tough guy bouncer, renowned 'bullshitter' and family man Tony Lip finds himself out of a job. When he receives a call from a doctor looking for a driver, he jumps at the chance. But Dr Don Shirley is no ordinary doctor, and his journey across the Deep South will be far from easy... There's not really any other way to say this, so I'll just come straight out with it: I loved Green Book . A poignant tale of injustice, it's strong central message shines out brightly without dipping into the realms of cliche - and this is thanks to both the eloquent, intelligent script and the outstanding performances from Viggo Mortensen as Tony Lip and Mahershala Ali as Dr Shirley. Blending the themes of sadness, strife and ignorance with our very human ability to laugh and connect with others, it resonates as a timeless tale of friendship in the face of continuing adversity. The addition of the visually striking musical pieces brings an extra ...

**** Arriving on the shores of Scotland, Mary Stuart moves to reclaim her title and her position as Queen. A Catholic and with a claim to the throne of England, she immediately poses a threat to Queen Elizabeth, a Protestant and the last of the House of Tudor.  The relationship between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth Tudor is one that has fascinated historians and artists alike for centuries. In a history that's dominated by male sovereigns, Mary and Elizabeth ruled alongside each other until Elizabeth had her cousin executed - surely that means that the two hated each other? In his play which premiered in 1800, Friedrich Schiller portrays Mary's last days, and the fraught relationship between the two women - one that is far from the 'black and white' dynamic that you might expect. Since then, numerous historians have revisited this momentous moment and dissected the connection between the two. One such biography is John Guy's Queen of Scots: The True Life ...

**** Whisked from her quiet, sheltered life in the country to the dizzying heights of Paris after marrying socialite Willy, Colette finds herself putting pen to paper when her husband's business begins to crumble. The resulting novel,  Claudine à l'école, is a resounding success - but it isn't Colette's name on the cover... Keira Knightley has been away from our screens for a little while. A problematic actress, she's somewhat renowned for her wooden performances and jutting jaw. However, she's back in sensational style as Colette, the remarkable woman who wrote some of the best-selling novels of the 20th Century on behalf of her husband, Willy (Dominic West). Something of a female bildungsroman, the film follows her from naive country girl to oppressed writer, fashion icon to pioneer of sexual expression - and Knightley captures each stage with subtle grace and understanding. Initially wide-eyed, she goes from rage at her husband's infid...

***/**** (3.5 stars) In the early 18th century, England as at war with France. In the Royal Palace, however, a much more dangerous battle is unfolding as two women vie for the affections of a frail Queen Anne. I like a clever film. I like quirky films, and unusual films and films that would be described as 'art house'. I appreciate that as much as a swirl of paint on canvas is a piece of art, a film can be one too. I enjoy being tested, educated and shocked by a film as much as I like to be entertained by one, and I like to think I don't confine my viewing experience to just one type of film.  Described as shocking, acerbic (a word that I shall now use all the time!) and heralded with a plethora of five star reviews, The Favourite certainly piqued my interest. Well, I was left wondering if I was missing something - was I not clever enough to find it as amazing as the work of other critics had led me believe? Do I just not appreciate art or cinematic maste...