A QUIET PASSION

The story of American poet Emily Dickinson from her early days as a young schoolgirl to her later years as a reclusive, unrecognized artist.

I knew very little of Emily Dickinson before watching this movie. A very interesting person. The movie was ok — felt a bit too stagey and overwrought but Cynthia Nickson is very good as Dickinson and the film is worth seeing for her performance. I’m not really into poetry but Dickinson’s poetry is profound if the snippets of it throughout the movie are anything to go by. Dickinson was obviously a very intelligent woman. It is sad she was not recognised as a poet until after her death. The rampant sexism of her era and society ruined so many women’s potential — including Dickinson’s.

DESPICABLE ME 3

Gru meets his long-lost charming, cheerful, and more successful twin brother Dru who wants to team up with him for one last criminal heist.

If you’ve seen the previous Despicable Me movies, you’ll know what to expect. Lots of fun. Fast paced. Pleasant humour. There’s a new villain. And, of course, those delightfully cute minions who are very upset that Gru has turned from a life of crime. Good for a family outing.

CHURCHILL

A ticking-clock thriller following Winston Churchill in the 96 hours before D-Day.

Well… I wouldn’t call this a “ticking-clock thriller” as described above. In fact, it is pretty slow and lacks the tension you would normally expect from a thriller. But I still enjoyed this biographical drama of a very interesting person in history. Churchill’s personality was complicated, with a very different “face” in private life compared to public life and is brilliantly portrayed by Brian Cox. If you are interested in history or biography, you’ll probably enjoy this one. Good, old-fashioned film making — despite what the critics say!

MY COUSIN RACHEL

A young Englishman plots revenge against his mysterious, beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian. But his feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling under the beguiling spell of her charms.

This was disappointingly average. I expected a tense psychological thriller but, alas, it wasn’t. So much more could have been done with this Daphne du Maurier story. The cinematography is beautiful and Rachel Weisz's performance is good to watch. Check it out if you like a gentle classic-style period drama, but don’t expect too much.

THE MUMMY

Though safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient queen whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.

Entertaining, action packed, and completely ridiculous — as it should be. Problem is that it takes itself a bit too seriously, so there isn’t the humour that this genre usually has. And there’s no really horror. Sofia Boutella, who plays the bad mummy, is the best thing about the movie. The worst is Russell Crowe who’s part was terribly written. An average movie. Wait for it to come to VOD and watch it on a rainy afternoon.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES

Captain Jack Sparrow searches for the trident of Poseidon while being pursued by an undead sea captain and his crew.

Very fast paced, lots of action, some cheesy humour, and Johnny Depp not as upfront as usual makes for an enjoyable, swashbuckling adventure. Not as bad as most of the critics have been saying. Nothing new but good fun — more like the original movie than those in between.

WONDER WOMAN

Before she was Wonder Woman she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained warrior. When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war to end all wars, discovering her full powers and true destiny.

An enjoyable superhero origin story. Gal Gadoh, who plays Diana/Wonder Woman, is excellent and bring a strong female role model to the movie. Her and Chris Pine have some great chemistry onscreen. There are some outstanding set pieces with spectacular use of slow motion during action scenes. Ultimately, though, it is another hero movie that ticks off what all hero movies essentially have, so it isn’t a brilliant movie. One major flaw is that we don’t get any backstory for the villains. But it’s definitely worth a trip to the cinema to see on the big screen.

VICEROY’S HOUSE

The final Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, is tasked with overseeing the transition of British India to independence, but meets with conflict as different sides clash in the face of monumental change.

This an average movie but I learned a lot about this event in history — assuming it’s accurate. For the first time, I feel as though I understand what went on. So, from that point of view, it’s worth a look. Gillian Anderson was very good as Lady Edwina Mountbatten and there is a good cast. But the performances are stilted and the ending is contrived and unconvincing.