Clint Eastwood

Review: J. Edgar

One of the cardinal sins of film journalism is that you must never call a film 'boring' – professionalism dictates that there must be a more accurate way of singling out the movie's flaws; a more apt way of summing up why it disappoints. A dull script, perhaps, or flat performances. But no. There is no better way to summarise the ways in which Clint Eastwood's Hoover biopic fails: J. Edgar is just fucking boring. It just is. It looks boring, it sounds boring, it feels boring, it IS boring.

An observation on J. Edgar

I'm lucky enough to have awards screeners sent to my doorstep - or, more accurately, my letterbox - and sometimes the films haven't even been released in the UK yet. Look Mum, I've finally made it! Here are my first, unofficial opinions on Clint Eastwood's Hoover biopic, J. Edgar.

Trailer: J. Edgar is total Clint

Sound the Oscar klaxon! Here's the first trailer for Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar, the Leonardo DiCaprio J. Edgar Hoover biopic that annoying people are already calling 'Jedgar'.

Review: Hereafter

Hereafter opens with a tsunami. Despite some occasionally shaky CG effects (correction: occasionally shaky Oscar-nominated CG effects), it's a powerful, harrowing scene, particularly in light of the recent worldwide floods. It's also quite apt, as the following two hours of Hereafter can only be described as a tsunami of boredom - you'll be helpless as waves of indifference crash down on you and you're overcome by a strong torrent of sludgy dialogue. Before long, the afterlife starts to sound pretty damn appealing.

Review: Invictus

Nelson Mandela is one of those inspirational political figures that makes for great fodder when it comes to Oscar-baiting season. Throw in a stirring account of underdogs rising to their sporting challenge and you have the perfect Academy Award film, right? Maybe, but there is such a thing as 'too much substance over style' and Invictus falls into this trap, ultimately suffering from its own importance.