Film & TV

As a dedicated consumer of television series it is always an exciting prospect when a new, well-acted and edgy show is introduced. In this case it is even more exciting when it is produced by the powerhouse that is "Shondaland". Producer and writer Shonda Rhimes is the brains behind some of what I consider to be the best shows to ever hit TV, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal - and most recently the new series "How to Get Away with Murder". Known for her innovative ways her shows feature powerful, strong and kickass women, she does not shy away from showing women as multifaceted beings with desires and goals that go far beyond successful careers and marriage. HTGAWM has been for me by far the most engaging show from this producer as it has three of my favourite things in TV: a diverse cast, strong,...

WARNING: This entire article may be biased. Why? Because Christopher Nolan. Because Matthew McConaughey. The greatest director of our time paired with, currently, an actor at the very top of his game. Interstellar promised so much for film fans: legit scientific concepts of space and time, special effects beyond your wildest dreams… essentially, most people anticipated the best film of all time. Without giving too much away, the world’s food supplies are dwindling, and dust storms threaten humanities existence - the only way is to find another planet to inhabit. Farmer and former test-pilot Cooper (McConaughey) stumbles across NASA’s secret lab and joins the crew, making a promise to meet his daughter Murphy again. The film is captured in an oh-so-very Nolan-esque way. The vast range of...

Nolan has always dedicated himself to making truly big films. It’s why he has been compared to the likes of David Lean, Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg, film makers who formed bold new ideas and presented audiences with grand set pieces the likes of which they have never seen. They are arguably generous comparisons. He does not have the cerebral or artistic qualities of Kubrick, the subtle, human aspects of Lean, and has yet to make films which are so widely embraced as Spielberg, with even his most loved films still holding as somewhat divisive. But what he does do, is make films as big as they did. Interstellar is no different. What bigger story is there than the pursuit into the great unknown that is space. Themes of progress and human development, of what unknown things lie in ...

When Skyfall came out two years ago, many hailed it as the best ever Bond film, an argument supported by its massive box office takings and two Oscars. It was announced that the two films left on Craig's Bond contract after Skyfall would form a 'two-parter', helmed by Sam Mendes to be released in 2014 and 2015. However, after the initial excitement, production got pushed back. Mendes decided he wanted a break from film to return to the stage, and the idea of a back-to-back release was scrapped. Bond 24 is now expected to be released October 23rd 2015, with John Logan currently working on the script, and Sam Mendes now back on the project as director. On the surface it sounds good; consistency from the last film. Surely the same writer, director and star can put together another great fi...

Mike Leigh has been an omnipresent figure in the British film industry over the last 30 years, telling stories about real people, living real lives. There are no far off universes, no space travel, no mechanised monsters here. To have had such continuous success with the ability to touch the audiences with their day-to-day emotions, making them sympathise and say “yes, that is what my life is like” while also holding a mirror up to society, is a true triumph. It is no surprise therefore that, even at the age of 71, there is no slowing Leigh down as he delivers another brilliant picture about real people. But this time, this character actually IS real, in the form of one of our countries best ever artists, Turner. But to say Leigh delivers us the story of Turners life, isn’t particularly...