THE VERDICT: Fame eats its own: Broomfield deepens an archetypal tale with the aches of human loss and talent wasted. As a richly detailed portrait of showbiz tragedy at its cruellest, Whitney is heart-wringing enough already. Broomfield doesn’t address Houston’s painful 2010 return, but he hardly needs to. Grimly, she couldn’t save her daughter, either. Exacerbated by family troubles and industry pressures, Houston couldn’t stall her 2000s fall. Yet the roar became a rasp when drugs took hold. Though hurt, Houston’s talent shines through: in Rudi Dolezal’s up-close 1999 live footage, her voice roars. We learn, too, how Houston’s mainstream-targeted image drew criticism. Houston’s ’hood upbringing and long-rumoured lesbian relationship with Robyn Crawford (not interviewed, sadly) are explored. It lacks the all-access density of Amy (opens in new tab), but doc vet Broomfield tackles Houston’s tale with similar tools, navigating choppy emotions with old-school docu-rigour.īroomfield (Kurt & Courtney) works reams of archive matter into narrative shape and shakes them up for revelations. Massive talent, inner turmoil, dead too soon: Nick Broomfield’s portrait of Whitney Houston’s rise and plummet shares more than a first-name title with recent docs about Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin. Neil Smith Prev of 12 Next Prev of 12 Next Yet Cox’s sturdy performance makes it worth your time.ĭirector: Jonathan Teplitzky Starring: Brian Cox, Miranda Richardson, John Slattery Theatrical release: June 16, 2017 THE VERDICT: A war movie about indecision? Not the greatest hook. But if you’re in the mood for a thoughtful character study, then Churchill certainly fits the bill, not least thanks to Miranda Richardson’s compassionate turn as Winston’s loyal wife Clemmie. If you’re after epic battle sequences, best hold out for Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. The drama in Churchill, then, lies in whether Winston will continue to hold out or give in to pressure from US general Eisenhower (John Slattery) and Field Marshal ‘Monty’ Montgomery (Julian Wadman), both of whom were eager to get Operation Overlord started. The way historian-turned-screenwriter Alex von Tunzelmann tells it, the iconic leader had serious misgivings about the audacious operation, full of dread that the invasion of France would result in another Gallipoli, the disastrous WW1 offensive that he had masterminded while he was the political head of the Royal Navy. The burly Scot puffs a mean cigar too in a selective biopic from Jonathan Teplitzky ( The Railway Man (opens in new tab)) that focuses exclusively on the build-up to D-Day in June 1944. If anything, though, Brian Cox is a better physical match than either, his imposing bulk making him ideally suited to playing the legendary prime minister who led Britain to victory in World War 2. All that said, if you've seen every other umbrella-related thing, if you've played the games, and it's a gray Sunday afternoon and you really have nothing better to do, shut down your brain, and the action will be enjoyable.With The Crown’s John Lithgow fresh in the mind and Gary Oldman’s Darkest Hour due later this year, our screens are hardly bereft of Winston Churchills at the moment. It's as if the director of this movie took Shoot 'em up, removed the sarcasm, replaced the hitmans with monsters and the actors with poor CGI models. The pro-American propaganda is pathetic, obvious, and omnipresent throughout the movie. In other cases, a monster that survived constant rifle fire at short range several times unharmed is killed by a single 9mm bullet. In some cases, hundreds of bullets that go towards a specific target disappear midair and let him/her/it get away. Kennedy and Rebecca Chambers to stop a death merchant, with a vengeance, from spreading a deadly virus in New York. Bullets and other projectiles are small, fast-moving, autonomous plot devices that cause variable damage depending on the importance of the character their hit. Animation Action Adventure Chris Redfield enlists the help of Leon S. The movie is supposed to occur in the Eastern Slav Republic, so everyone speaks flawless English, even among them, but with a Slavic accent. Every single faction in the movie is a carbon copy of Umbrella Corp. As usual in anything Resident Evil, we've got villains that are so cartoonishly evil as their plans and motives are ridiculous.
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