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Fan The Fire

Tomatometer-approved publication.

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Rating Title | Year Author Quote
85
Not Another Teen Movie (2001) Martin Roberts testing stuff
Posted Feb 15, 2023  Edit critic review
4/5
A Hidden Life (2019) Martin Roberts This is Malick's best film in many years.
Posted Jan 23, 2020  Edit critic review
4/5
Knives Out (2019) Martin Roberts A thoroughly enjoyable, modern take on what is a well-worn genre, which dares to poke fun at its heritage while revelling in its quirks.
Posted Dec 06, 2019  Edit critic review
2/5
Red Joan (2018) Martin Roberts Unfortunately, the film is let down by its structure, and I was left wishing I'd seen a film about either of the two Joans portrayed, as opposed to both of them.
Posted Apr 27, 2019  Edit critic review
3/5
Suspiria (2018) Martin Roberts This film makes a conscious decision to reveal its hand early on. That decision is a bold one, and one that I think ultimately pays off.
Posted Nov 30, 2018  Edit critic review
4/5
At First Light (2018) Sam Bathe Stone has crafted an intelligent, low key sci-fi thriller, that explores big subjects despite running out of steam toward the finish.
Posted Oct 17, 2018  Edit critic review
4/5
Skate Kitchen (2018) Martin Roberts Thanks to Moselle's unfussy direction, which really captures the feeling of drifting along through youthful summer days, and the strong work of the young, mostly little-known cast, Skate Kitchen is certainly worth your time.
Posted Sep 27, 2018  Edit critic review
3/5
Adrift (2018) Martin Roberts Yes, some of the structural elements are familiar, and it probably won't surprise you too often, but it's a well put together piece of drama that tells a story worth telling.
Posted Jul 05, 2018  Edit critic review
3/5
Downsizing (2017) Martin Roberts It's a smart idea, and Payne uses the first third of his film to investigate it from many different angles-psychologically, environmentally, even scientifically.
Posted Jun 05, 2018  Edit critic review
4/5
Double Lover (2017) Martin Roberts Ozon is clearly having a lot of fun here, and L'Amant Double is not intended to be taken completely seriously; on that level, there is plenty to enjoy in its cine-literate depiction of a mind on the edge.
Posted Jun 05, 2018  Edit critic review
4/5
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Martin Roberts This is a big film with big implications for the series, and for that it should be praised.
Posted May 03, 2018  Edit critic review
4/5
Ghost Stories (2017) Martin Roberts What [Andy] Nyman and [Jeremy] Dyson have done is mould their inspirations into a successful, affecting horror picture that is capable of drawing both laughs and shocks, which is an achievement to be commended.
Posted Apr 10, 2018  Edit critic review
2/5
Early Man (2018) Sam Bathe Compared to Pixar's recent masterpiece Coco, so full of life, imagination and eccentricity, Early Man is middling, it's grey vs. technicolour.
Posted Jan 29, 2018  Edit critic review
3/5
1918: Journey's End (2018) Martin Roberts Even if Journey's End will perhaps not be remembered as a classic of the genre, it is nevertheless a well made war film that with good performances that is worth checking out.
Posted Jan 29, 2018  Edit critic review
5/5
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) Martin Roberts With a roster of memorable characters, a cast on universally great form and a script that is frequently capable of wrong-footing its audience, there's really very little to complain about.
Posted Jan 19, 2018  Edit critic review
4/5
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (2017) Martin Roberts The film is a polemic, not designed to be balanced, but thought-provoking. Your enjoyment of it may depend on what side of the argument you come down on, although climate change deniers are hardly likely to be watching this in the first place.
Posted Dec 12, 2017  Edit critic review
3/5
Stronger (2017) Martin Roberts The supporting cast didn't add a huge amount for me, and the script is tonally a little inconsistent, but Stronger is nevertheless a well-acted double header and worth a look for Gyllenhaal and Maslany alone.
Posted Dec 09, 2017  Edit critic review
Revolution: New Art for a New World (2016) Martin Roberts Ultimately a little televisual and perhaps did not require a cinematic release, but even so there is an interesting discourse in here not just how this art related to its period, but how any art can do so, and the importance of that relationship.
Posted Nov 01, 2017  Edit critic review
4/5
The Death of Stalin (2017) Martin Roberts Generally, though, The Death of Stalin is an entertaining and often funny film, the tone of which will be familiar, if not wholly so, to fans of Iannucci's excellent previous work.
Posted Oct 19, 2017  Edit critic review
4/5
Wind River (2017) Martin Roberts Wind River is a compelling watch, with a strong sense of place, convincing performances and a welcome, if subtle, undercurrent o f political awareness.
Posted Sep 26, 2017  Edit critic review
3/5
The Glass Castle (2017) Liam Nicholls The Glass Castle explores the fraught and fractured relationship between a father and daughter, played superbly by Woody Harrelson and Brie Larson.
Posted Sep 26, 2017  Edit critic review
4/5
A Ghost Story (2017) Martin Roberts The film won't be for everyone, but it's a unique take on the ubiquitous cinematic theme of death and what happens after it, and deserves to be seen.
Posted Aug 10, 2017  Edit critic review
4/5
Baby Driver (2017) Martin Roberts A common criticism of blockbusters these days is a perceived lack of wit or invention -- the sense that big budgets and special effects are often used to paper over fundamental cracks. Baby Driver is an antidote to that feeling.
Posted Jun 28, 2017  Edit critic review
4/5
Dying Laughing (2016) Martin Roberts While many of the insights offered may not be revelatory, there are nevertheless moments of pathos and power in Dying Laughing, as well as some laughs -- though perhaps fewer than you might expect, given the comic talent on show.
Posted Jun 06, 2017  Edit critic review
3/5
The Shepherd (2016) Martin Roberts The result is a compelling, well acted drama that doesn't quite live up to its own high standards.
Posted Jun 01, 2017  Edit critic review
3/5
Mindhorn (2016) Martin Roberts [It] may be inconsistent, but there are enough comic high points, mixed in with just enough pathos, to make Mindhorn worth seeking out.
Posted May 08, 2017  Edit critic review
3/5
Neruda (2016) Martin Roberts I felt a little distanced from it as I watched, and never felt able to connect with the characters the way it seemed to want m e to, but that said there are plenty of excellent scenes to enjoy along the way.
Posted Apr 06, 2017  Edit critic review
4/5
Personal Shopper (2016) Martin Roberts I enjoyed the blend of genres and appreciated the fact that Assayas was trying something bold. That boldness, couple with Stewart's winning lead performance, make Personal Shopper worth a look.
Posted Mar 13, 2017  Edit critic review
3/5
Allied (2016) Martin Roberts This tale of spies in love, which is old-fashioned in its storytelling, mostly in a good way, has enough charm to be worth a look.
Posted Nov 30, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
Paterson (2016) Martin Roberts Paterson, for me, succeeds in creating a tone that is very much its own, and by practising exceptional levels of dramatic restraint, delivers a ponderous, thoughtful experience, much like the ones in its protagonist's head.
Posted Nov 21, 2016  Edit critic review
3/5
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) Martin Roberts Fantastic Beasts is a solid if unspectacular introduction to a new franchise.
Posted Nov 17, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
Nocturnal Animals (2016) Martin Roberts With a cast on great form, a tricky narrative told in a confident way, and excellent technical qualities, there's a whole lot to enjoy in Tom Ford's second feature.
Posted Nov 08, 2016  Edit critic review
3/5
Orange Sunshine (2016) Sam Bathe The remarkable story of one of the most influential illegal drug organisations you've never heard of, Orange Sunshine is William A. Kirkley's ground-breaking documentary about hippie group, the Brotherhood of Eternal Love.
Posted Oct 25, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
I, Daniel Blake (2016) Martin Roberts A powerful, important piece of work that sheds light on the treatment of decent people by an increasingly dehumanised state.
Posted Oct 25, 2016  Edit critic review
3/5
Doctor Strange (2016) Martin Roberts The film is in some ways a triumph, but as a whole lacks the cohesion and charm of some of Marvel's other comic book adaptations.
Posted Oct 25, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
In Pursuit of Silence (2015) Martin Roberts Patrick Shen's documentary In Pursuit of Silence is a captivating investigation into what silence really is, and why humans might seek it out, or even require it.
Posted Oct 20, 2016  Edit critic review
3/5
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) Martin Roberts There's enough in here to recommend a viewing if you're after a relatively old-fashioned thriller; it just won't stick with you for too long.
Posted Oct 20, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
Under the Shadow (2016) Martin Roberts [Under The Shadow] takes many of the standard tropes of haunted-house cinema and makes a good fist of refreshing them with to its good performances, strong sense of place, and understated political commentary.
Posted Sep 29, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) Martin Roberts It's hard to imagine anybody not being won over by this charming adventure, which I'm already looking forward to watching again.
Posted Sep 16, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
Green Room (2015) Martin Roberts Green Room is a memorable thriller, and I can't wait to see what Saulnier does next.
Posted Sep 16, 2016  Edit critic review
3/5
War Dogs (2016) Martin Roberts I did find the film to have more depth than I thought it was going to, and more political bite, all gravitating around Hill's memorable antihero.
Posted Aug 25, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
Only Yesterday (1991) Sam Bathe With Studio Ghibli in an indefinite haitus, we must cherish their beloved films, and this is one of the very best.
Posted Aug 22, 2016  Edit critic review
3/5
Cosmos (2015) Martin Roberts There are ideas aplenty in Cosmos, many of which are compelling, but there is a lack of insight or resolution to most of it that feels frustrating.
Posted Aug 15, 2016  Edit critic review
3/5
Wiener-Dog (2016) Martin Roberts It's a blackly comic drama dealing with the issue of futility, with a cynical edge that Solondz fans will be familiar with.
Posted Aug 09, 2016  Edit critic review
3/5
Star Trek Beyond (2016) Martin Roberts The crew has been well cast, and although this may not be their most memorable adventure, it's still a cut above your average action blockbuster.
Posted Jul 22, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
The Hard Stop (2015) Martin Roberts It' s a film that reminds us about the inequality that persists in our country; about the racial tensions that shamefully still hold sway; and how community can provide hope and comfort.
Posted Jul 13, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
Maggie's Plan (2015) Martin Roberts The triumph of Miller's film comes from the meeting of a great cast with a sensitive, clever script that treats them all with remarkable even-handedness.
Posted Jul 07, 2016  Edit critic review
4/5
The Neon Demon (2016) Martin Roberts Like Drive, this is a film whose powerful visual style and hypnotic soundtrack help build the narrative up to a point which it might not otherwise have reached.
Posted Jul 06, 2016  Edit critic review
3/5
Tale of Tales (2015) Martin Roberts Where the stories are united, though, is in their strangeness and arresting visuals. In that sense, the film certainly has an identity of its own, and those in search of a fairytale oddity will find much to enjoy in Tale of Tales.
Posted Jun 15, 2016  Edit critic review
3/5
Warcraft (2016) Martin Roberts Jones holds all the parts together, just about, and the things that work are strong enough to leave an impression.
Posted May 31, 2016  Edit critic review
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