Odeon Chelmsford

• 2019
• UK / US / Germany
• 1h 48min
• 15

• Directed by: James Kent
• Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Keira Knightley, Jason Clarke

In post-WWII Hamburg, Rachael (Knightley) and her officer husband Lewis (Clarke) are living in a house with the German owner Stefan (Skarsgård) confined to the attic, and soon Rachael is drawn to Stefan. Rhidian Brook’s original novel may work, but on screen, the stiff upper lips and war-is-hell clichés are ridiculously shop-worn and clumsy.

• 61%
• 41%

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• 2018
• UK/USA
• 1h 31min
• 12A

• Directed by: Bryan Singer
• Cast: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech, Mike Myers

The Freddie Mercury story. Malek as Mercury does a great job, with a passionate and impressive performance, but despite the recreation of momentous performances it’s a disappointingly tame affair, with a by-the-numbers screenplay and a bland lack of insight into Mercury’s heritage or sexuality.

• 81%
• 49%

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• 2018
• US
• 1h 53min
• 12A

• Directed by: Travis Knight
• Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Ortiz, Jason Drucker, Pamela Adlon

In 80s California, Charlie (Steinfeld) is a grieving teenage auto mechanic who finds a broken-down VW Beetle which turns out to be Autobot B-127. Knight’s Transformers prequel injects much needed charm and fun into the franchise, with a nice bond between Bee and Charlie, and even the robot fights have wit and precision.

• 71%
• 66%

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• 2019
• US
• 12A

• Directed by: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
• Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, Gemma Chan, Ben Mendelsohn, Robert Kazinsky

Danvers (Larson) is a fighter with the Kree Starforce who finds herself on Earth, and encountering Agent Nick Fury (Jackson). The storyline doesn’t give Larson a lot of time to establish a persona, but her charm, style and ass-kicking make her Marvel’s coolest customer and whatever it lacks in heart, it makes up for with sheer likeability.

• 71%
• 64%

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Special screening of never-before-seen footage and a remastered version of Diana Ross' iconic Central Park concert, in celebration of her 75th birthday.

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• 2018
• Ireland / UK / US
• 15

• Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
• Cast: Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult

In the court of Queen Anne (Colman), power is wielded by Lady Sarah Marlborough (Weisz), but then Sarah’s young cousin Abigail (Stone) arrives. Brash, bawdy and beguiling, and a deceptively acute commentary on the nature of power, with career-best work from Weisz and Stone and a commanding performance from Colman as the ailing Queen.

• 77%
• 90%

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• 2019
• UK/US
• 1h 48min
• 12A

• Directed by: Stephen Merchant
• Cast: Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, Dwayne Johnson

Based on the true story of WWE champion Saraya-Jade Bevis, aka Paige (Pugh), following her journey from dismal Norwich via Florida boot camp to the stadium. Pugh and Lowden as her brother are good, but the innuendo is crude, the characterisation shallow and the attempt to depict Saraya’s rise as some kind of feminist revolution is unconvincing.

• 76%
• 68%

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• 2018
• UK

• Directed by: Chris Foggin
• Cast: Tuppence Middleton, James Purefoy, Daniel Mays, David Hayman

Danny (Mays) is a music industry talent handler who arrives in Cornwall on a stag night, and discovers the titular (real-life) folk singers and signs them. Mays is a watchable lead and generates rom-com chemistry with Middleton, the daughter of the group’s grouchy Jim (Purefoy). An undemanding yarn with nevertheless the power to do some cockle-warming.

• 72%

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• 1963
• US
• 2h 53min
• PG

• Directed by: John Sturges
• Cast: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn

The classic WWII escape drama, featuring a fine ensemble cast trying to get out of the Nazi stalag. McQueen's 'Cooler King' became a screen icon, particularly in the scene where he attempts to jump over a field of barbed wire fences on a motorbike.

• 82%
• 87%
• 93%

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• 2018
• US
• 2h 10min

• Directed by: Peter Farrelly
• Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini

Don Shirley (Ali), virtuoso pianist, is chauffeured around the American South in 1962 by his Italian-American driver Tony (Mortensen), and much learning ensues. It’s beautifully made and very worthy, but far too gentle and broad to be effective; Tony, rather than Don, is the heart of the story and it lacks bite.

• 83%
• 69%

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• 2019
• US
• 1h 58min
• 12A

• Directed by: Sean Anders
• Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Isabela Moner

Pete (Wahlberg) and Elie (Byrne) are a couple who decide to try fostering children, and they take in teenage Lizzy (Moner) and her siblings. A good vehicle for Wahlberg’s blue-collar charm, with humour that feels earned and details that have the smack of real experience. Manipulative but likable.

• 74%
• 57%

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• 2019

Birthday tribute concert for Joni Mitchell.

• 88%

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• 2019
• UK
• 2h
• PG

• Directed by: Joe Cornish
• Cast: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Dean Chaumoo, Tom Taylor, Rhianna Dorris, Angus Imrie, Patrick Stewart, Rebecca Ferguson

Alex (Serkis), escaping from school bullies, finds a sword sticking out of a cement post which he and mate Bedders (Chaumoo) decide is Excalibur. Entertaining, but with too many unanswered questions, and Ferguson as Morgana is wasted for most of the movie. Shame, because the kids are terrific.

• 63%
• 66%

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• 2019
• US / Australia / Denmark
• 1h 46min
• U

• Directed by: Rob Schrab
• Cast: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Stephanie Beatriz

Despite living in the Mad Max-style nightmare of Apocalypseburg, Emmet (Pratt) is still his cheery self—until his friends are kidnapped by the alien queen (Haddish). There are lots of good jokes and plenty of fun, but it’s not quite up to the magical original.

• 70%
• 65%

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• 2018
• US
• 2h 15min
• 15

• Directed by: Bradley Cooper
• Cast: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott

Jackson (Cooper) is a famous musician, his best years behind him, who discovers young singer Ally (Gaga) in a bar one night. What could have been yet another remake is a revelation: Gaga sings up a storm and is nuanced and convincing, but Cooper is extraordinary as co-writer, producer, director and star. Smart, funny and heartbreaking.

• 78%
• 88%

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• 2019
• US
• 2h

• Directed by: Jordan Peele
• Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Yahya Abdul Mateen II, Anna Diop

Adelaide (Nyong’o) and Gabe (Duke) arrive at their holiday home with their children, only to be confronted by a mysteriously familiar foursome. Peele’s follow up to Get Out is a neat twist on the home invasion story, with beautifully executed set pieces, and Nyong’o is phenomenal as both protagonist and chief aggressor. Fresh and arresting.

• 70%
• 78%

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• 2019
• US

• Directed by: Adam Shankman
• Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Max Greenfield

Ali (Henson) is a sports agent who can suddenly understand the thoughts of her male co-workers. It fails to make the most of the battle of the sexes premise, becoming a predictable rom-com, but Henson gives an impressively physical performance and Badu has fun as the wacky psychic who starts the whole debacle.

• 45%
• 49%

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