Arthur Fleck finds love as he is put on trial for his crimes in Joker: Folie À Deux. For the past two years, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) has been in the maximum security wing of Arkham State Hospital, subject to cruel and mocking treatment by the guards headed by Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson). While being […]

An English teacher in Buenos Aires adopts a rescued penguin in The Penguin Lessons. In the year 1976, Tom Michel (Steve Coogan) arrives at Buenos Aires to begin a position at an English Boarding School. Despite the fact that Argentina is in the midst of a coup d’état, it is the policy of the headmaster […]

Gru and his family are forced into witness protection in Despicable Me 4. Gru (Steve Carell) is in danger when his newly caught archnemesis Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), a flamboyant human-cockroach hybrid, escapes from prison and vows revenge with his girlfriend Valentina (Sofía Vergara). Anti-Villain League head Silas Ramsbottom (Steven Coogan) relocates Gru, his […]

An amateur historian seeks to spread the truth about King Richard III in The Lost King. Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins) is a middle-aged woman at a crossroads, who one night takes her kids to a production of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” while her separated husband John (Steve Coogan) goes out on a date. Philippa begins to […]

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon head to Greece for their fourth culinary adventure in The Trip to Greece. Marking a decade of culinary excursions, Steve and Rob set off to follow the path of Odysseus in Greece for an Observer article, this time written by Rob instead of the career-focused Steve. However, during the trip, Steve […]

An alternate history of the DC comics villain is told in Joker. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely man with mental health issues, who lives alone with his mother Penny (Frances Conroy) and dreams of being a popular standup comedian and appearance on a talk show hosted by Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro). During […]

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon go on their third culinary road trip in The Trip to Spain. Asked once again to write a series of restaurant reviews, Steve and Rob leave for a trip across Spain. For Rob, it’s a chance to have a break from his busy family life with his wife Sally (Rebecca […]

Those lovable yellow henchmen get their own movie in Minions.  Minions have existed since the dawn of time, with their primary goal being to serve the most despicable of masters.  Having caused the inadvertent deaths of all their previous masters, the Minions are on the bring of depression in their Antarctic hideaway.  This results in […]

British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon return as fictional versions of themselves in director Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip to Italy.  After the success of their previous restaurant-going road trip, Steve and Rob are asked to go on a second trip, this time around Italy.  The two travel to many locations around the country, including […]

Finishing off my catching up of the Oscar nominees for Best Picture, I checked out this true story directed by Stephen Frears. When she was younger, Irish woman Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) was forced by nuns to give up her son, born out of wedlock, for adoption, with her also being forced into labour at […]

In this meta-comedy, British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play themselves as they go on a road trip, visiting many restaurants and sites in the English countryside.  Along the way Coogan pines about his stalled career, while he competes with Brydon on who can do the best Michael Caine impersonation.  It bit more complex than that, […]

It may not be Pixar, but I thought that Despicable Me was a very decent animated film.  It’s also the first of two animated films this year to feature a villain in the lead role (the other being Megamind). The villainous aspect is part of what makes this film fun to watch, since the character of […]

I thought that the original Night at the Museum was a fun family movie in the vein of Jumanji (maybe one reason why the producers cast Robin Williams in a supporting role). The sequel aimed to make things bigger by placing the action at the Smithsonian. Most of the original museum characters take a back […]

In the end, Hamlet 2 will probably be most well known for featuring a song entitled “Rock Me Sexy Jesus.” That musical number, which happens late in the film, is probably the high point of this film, which only features a so-so story about a drama teacher trying to get his controversial play shown. A […]

Who would have thought that in the end it would be Simple Jack that generated controversy? In a film that features Robert Downey Jr. playing an Australian actor, who darkens his skin to play an African American sergeant, the biggest complaint about this film involves a subplot, where Ben Stiller’s character plays a mentally disabled […]