In 1862, the idea of meteorology - the science of weather - was a laughable thing (as opposed to 2019, when it's still largely laughable? Hmm). Scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) is determined to prove otherwise, but to do so he needs the help of a hot air balloon pilot. In real life, this was … Continue reading The Aeronauts (2019)
This is the story of two companies in bitter rivalry: the handcrafted, race-dominating Ferrari, against the mass-produced, reliable but deeply 'unsexy' Ford. There's a personal rivalry, too, between Enzo Ferrari and Henry Ford II. But more than that it's the tale of two other men: Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), the first American to win the … Continue reading Ford v Ferrari (2019)
It was the starry cast that attracted me to this, rather than another retelling of the fight between Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult), which I thought I knew (enough) about. But this isn't that fight, or rather, Tesla is only a bit-player, and the real 'war' is between inventor Edison and … Continue reading The Current War (2017)
"William Goldman once said about the movie business, 'Nobody knows anything.'" Along with many, many other people, The Princess Bride holds a special place in my heart. It's a sweet, funny, action-packed, generally just lovely movie. It's one of my go-to films when I need a pick me up. And who better to talk us … Continue reading As You Wish – Cary Elwes
First Man is a biopic of astronaut, Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), detailing his time with NASA and becoming the first human to walk on another planetary body. It's at once a deeply personal story, and yet captures one of the most monumental human achievements of all time. There was nothing easy about the 'space race'. … Continue reading First Man (2018)
The first proper album I ever bought was Queen's A Kind of Magic. I sort of remember the Live Aid concert (I was a little young!) which forms the framework for this bio-pic of, if not the band, certainly lead singer, Freddie Mercury. I'm still struggling to completely have an opinion on the movie. I *loved* … Continue reading Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Everyone knows that Queen Victoria had a huge romance with hubby, Albert, and found a little relief from her loneliness following his death with ghillie, John Brown. In fact, Judi Dench played the monarch in the movie, Mrs Brown, showing us their friendship. It's a nice touch, then, to have her back in the role for … Continue reading Victoria and Abdul (2017)
