Reviews & features: Michael Shannon

Man of Steel

Decent performances and safe direction results in a Superman flick that flies but never soars

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's another take on Superman, swooping into cinemas just seven-years after Bryan Singer's sluggish version, which in turn heavily referenced its 1978 predecessor. With Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder attempts to…

New pics from Man of Steel

The new Superman images feature Henry Cavill, Kevin Costner, Michael Shannon and Amy Adams in action

The drip feed of info from the much-hyped Man of Steel is accelerating as the film nears its release date (Fri 14 Jun). Today's instalment of supernews brings with it 13 new pics from the film, including shots of all the principal cast in…

The Iceman

Impressive mafia-themed dramatic thriller starring Michael Shannon, James Franco and Ray Liotta

Is there no film Michael Shannon doesn’t excel in? Here the star of Take Shelter plays real-life New Jersey hitman Richard Kuklinski, who – upon his arrest in 1986 – is thought to have committed over 100 assassinations. Directed by Israeli-born…

Mud

Part adolescent yarn, part yearning love story, starring Matthew McConaughey and Reece Witherspoon

Jeff Nichols’ third film, Mud, arrives with much expectation. His second, Take Shelter, was a marvellous study of the inner turmoil of Michael Shannon’s blue-collar worker, a man haunted by apocalyptic visions. By comparison, Mud feels more prosaic.

Premium Rush

Slick action about a New York bike messenger, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon

There are three major factors that make David Koepp's Premium Rush worthy of recommendation: breathtaking real stunts that do justice to the film's name, a charismatic leading man in Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a formidably villain in Boardwalk Empire's…

Return

A fine example of independent filmmaking, despite familiar subject matter

American filmmaker Liza Johnson is by no means the first to take a crack at the ‘soldier comes home from war’ story, and she certainly won’t be the last, but Return is a worthwhile addition to the genre. It’s a focused, unshowy character study, light on…

Profile: Michael Shannon

Actor known for Take Shelter, The Ice Man and Boardwalk Empire

Born August 7th, 1974 Background Intense actor from Lexington, Kentucky. After treading the boards, Shannon made his screen debut in Groundhog Day. He is known for playing disturbed characters, in films such as Bug and Revolutionary Road, for…

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?

(15) 93min Inspired by true events, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done tells the story of Brad Macallum (Michael Shannon), an aspiring actor who commits the crime he is to enact in a Greek tragedy in which he is performing. So here it is. The…

The Runaways

(15) 106min For all its rock’n’roll rebellion and punk power, there’s something quite conventional about music promo director Floria Sigismondi’s biopic about The Runaways, the ’70s all-girl group that gave the world the Joan Jett. Perhaps it’s that…

Revolutionary Road

DRAMA Age of Anxiety writer Richard Yates’ first and arguably finest novel gets a Titanic big screen makeover courtesy of reunited stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and director hubby Sam Mendes. It’s 1955 in suburban Connecticut; the…

Shotgun Stories

REVENGE/TRAGEDY (12A) 90min Poverty and hope are the currencies traded in the southeastern part of Arkansas that is the stage for Jeff Nichol’s feature debut. This is a land of downriver people whose luckless lives are tied to the Mississippi-enriched…