The Keeping Room
Like another Western from earlier this year – Jane Got a Gun – this is a film that doesn’t live up to its promising premise. Three Southern women, left on their own after the ravages of the civil war, become besieged in their home by some unhinged Union army veterans. The slow, tense, build-up of the first-half is let down by a far less satisfying second. However, the three female leads – Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld, and Muna Otaru are all very good.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
The original Jack Reacher film was one of the pleasant surprises of 2012, with both well-staged action scenes and some funny lines. This sequel sees Tom Cruise return as Reacher but it does not measure up to the first movie. The plot is workmanlike enough but the action scenes don’t quite compare and the dialogue is a little bit clunky at times. But there is an excellent prison break sequence. Reacher’s relationship with Major Turner is nicely drawn and it is never less than watchable.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
A Street Cat Named Bob
I read a review the other day comparing A Street Cat Named Bob unfavourably with I, Daniel Blake, with the criticism it lacks realism. That seems odd as this is based on a true story but I suspect its relationship with the truth is similar to Eddie The Eagle’s earlier this year. If you are a cat lover, though, you will be charmed by Bob, and his impact on the drug addicted James’ life is touching. Luke Treadaway is good as James and Joanne Froggatt is excellent as his support worker. I started to get fed up with too many shots of touristy London, but that aside, this is a hard film to dislike.
Rating: 7 out of 10
The Accountant
This has a fairly ludicrous plot – an autistic boy is taught to defend himself by his military father, so he grows up to be brilliant with numbers and a stone-cold killer. But if you take a large pinch of salt into the cinema with you, there is much fun to be had. Benn Affleck is well-cast in the lead role as the fight and action scenes work well; and there are a lot more laughs than I was expecting. There is also a very nice scene with the very good, but underused, Anna Kendrick, where she compares their childhoods. The big reveal is hardly a surprise and wasn’t really needed, but this could be the start of an interesting franchise.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10