The Menu is a remarkable thriller sauteed with a little comedy to deliver a confection that may not meet with delight with all moviegoers’ palettes, but if you’ve got a cynical streak, especially as it leans towards societal behaviours and elitism, this one will be met with a chef’s kiss. The story follows a group…
Tag: ralph fiennes
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) – Travis Knight
I remember getting a glimpse of this film with its first released trailer, and I wasn’t really interested. It seems my brain simply chose to block out the part where it says it’s a Laika Studios production… these guys have yet to make a bad picture. I picked it up on blu-ray sight unseen, only…
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) – David Yates
This is it. It all led to this film, after seven films, the Harry Potter franchise comes to its close with this, the second part of the adaptation of the seventh and final novel. Picking up where the first film left off with Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) claiming the Elder Wand, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma…
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) – David Yates
This is it, the first titanic installment of the Deathly Hallows, the final book in the popular series was split into two separate films, and worked to wrap everything up in a suitable fashion for Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson), Ron (Rupert Grint) and all their friends, allies and enemies as everything races…
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) – David Yates
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends at Hogwarts are ready for another year at the magical school, one that will shape them, and set them on a course towards a final confrontation with Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and will change everything. The sixth film in the series once again ups the stakes for all of…
Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (2007) – David Yates
Director David Yates takes over the big chair for the next instalment in the Warner Brothers’ adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s magical novels, and he’d best get comfortable, because he’s going to see Harry Potter through the rest of his cinematic trip, over the course of the next four films. Much like Goblet of Fire, the…
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) – Mike Newell
The fourth entry in the Harry Potter franchise is the first to get itself a PG-13 rating, reflecting the fact tht the stories themselves are getting darker, and dealing with heavier subjects. It also sees a new director behind the camera, Mike Newell, who continues the world-building of the series, embracing the visual aesthetic that…
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – Wes Anderson
The final title in The Directory, marking the end of my time with DK Canada’s exceptional The Movie Book is this fun, quirky film from writer/director Wes Anderson and starring Ralph Fiennes. Anderson packs the film with his favourite actors as he has done throughout his films. Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody,…
Clash of the Titans (2010) – Louis Leterrier
The next title that I dove into for the Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales chapter of DK Canada’s highly enjoyable Monsters in the Movies book was doomed for me from the moment of it’s inception. The remake of 1981’s Harryhausen effects driven classic was never going to wow me. Why? Gone are the practical effects…
The Reader (2008) – Stephen Daldry
The final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Schindler’s List, is this moving, and thoughtful film based on the novel by Bernhard Schlink. Kate Winslet stars as Hanna Schmitz, a role for which she won an Oscar for Best Lead Performance. Set in Post World War…