How Taraji P. Henson Went Stratospheric With Hidden Figures James Andrews March 22, 2018 Analysis, Features, Spotlight Taraji P. Henson was snubbed for a Best Actress Oscar nomination in 2017 for her brilliant work in Hidden Figures. Simple as. Portraying real-life NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson as she provides vital...
Spotlight: Joaquin Phoenix – One Face, Many Bodies Rhys Handley March 8, 2018 Analysis, Features, Spotlight With a face as distinct as Joaquin Phoenix’s, the odds are stacked against our one-time hip-hop renaissance man to ever truly disappear into a role – to make us forget that he was ever really there. But...
Jonny Greenwood in 2017: A Tale of Two Masterpieces Jack Blackwell March 1, 2018 Analysis, Features, Spotlight A member of Radiohead and Paul Thomas Anderson’s go-to composer, Jonny Greenwood has long been a musical magician, but his film work in 2017 was a high-water mark even by his own lofty standards. Not only...
Saoirse Ronan: Innocence and Experience Rachel Brook February 14, 2018 Features, Spotlight 2 Comments Greta Gerwig’s eagerly-anticipated first feature as director, Lady Bird, is finally here on Friday. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, the triple-threat chose not to star in the film herself, yet a cast...
Doug Jones – The Man Behind the Monsters James Andrews February 13, 2018 Analysis, Features, Spotlight You may not know his name, you quite possibly don’t know his face, but you’ll certainly have seen Doug Jones on screen somewhere. The former contortionist-turned-actor has appeared in a varied range of...
Spotlight: Christoph Waltz Carmen Paddock January 25, 2018 Analysis, Features, Spotlight In Europe, everybody would say, "Well, they (in Hollywood) just want to squeeze you like a lemon." Well, yeah! But, you know, if I have the juice, why shouldn't they? Of all actors to grace the awards-season...
Why Liam Neeson’s Very Particular Set of Skills Should be Put to Better Use Naomi Soanes January 19, 2018 Features, Spotlight As whispers of Liam Neeson’s imminent retirement from action movies started to make its way down the Hollywood grapevine, cries of dismay rang out from audiences who felt unprepared to lose such an action...
Tom Hanks: Spielberg’s Everyman Hero James Andrews January 16, 2018 Analysis, Features, Spotlight Saving Private Ryan. Catch Me If You Can. The Terminal. Bridge of Spies. And now, The Post. What do they all have in common? Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. As their fifth collaboration – a '70s-set...
Steve Carell: Serious Actor James Andrews November 22, 2017 Analysis, Features, Spotlight Steve Carell has come a long way from loving lamp in 2004’s Anchorman. The Massachusetts native was once best known as loveable idiot weatherman Brick Tamland, The Office’s cringey boss Michael Scott and,...
From Heart Throb to Indie Darling: The Evolution of Robert Pattinson Naomi Soanes November 14, 2017 Analysis, Features, Spotlight It’s been a long time now since Robert Pattinson was able to enjoy complete anonymity. From the moment Pattinson landed the much-coveted role of Edward Cullen in the Twilight series, he has been unable to...
Spotlight: Taika Waititi Ellena Zellhuber-McMillan October 24, 2017 Analysis, Features, Spotlight On October 23, Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok will premiere. As a fellow Kiwi, it has been fascinating to watch the world embrace Waititi. His talent is undeniable. I have already written a love letter to...
The Rise of Ryan Gosling Louise Burrell October 4, 2017 Analysis, Features, Spotlight Ryan Gosling is a tough actor to pin down. One moment he’s the silent, brooding leading man, and the next he’s tap-dancing his way through Hollywood and belting out a few songs on the way. While he may now...
The Formative Years of Domhnall Gleeson Naomi Soanes September 26, 2017 Analysis, Features, Spotlight You’d be forgiven for not knowing who Domhnall Gleeson is, or even for not knowing how to pronounce his name (it’s pronounced "Doe-nal", by the way). But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to be a...
Fragile and Funny: The Roles of Sally Hawkins Louise Burrell August 2, 2017 Analysis, Features, Spotlight Last year’s release of Maudie, the tale of a Nova Scotia artist who suffers from crippling arthritis, looks set to cement Sally Hawkins as the master of powerful fragility. Wonderfully charming and...
From Stage To Screen: How Mark Rylance Ruled Hollywood Tori Brazier July 22, 2017 Analysis, Features, Spotlight Sir Mark Rylance is currently having a bit of a moment on the international stage – and one which looks set to continue this week with the release of Christopher Nolan’s war epic Dunkirk. Until recently...